The Idols of Iron Fist
by gracegrrl007
Summary: What happens to the idols of 765 Pro when Makoto makes an announcement that could shatter their lives forever? A crossover between Tekken and The iDOLM@STER. The idols participate in The King of Iron Fist Tournament, but little do they know that a new rule has been introduced that will shake them to the core. Will they survive? Probably not, but...you know, they'll try.
1. The Announcement

_The Announcement_

_ "Hey, guys, look!" _All the idols of 765 Productions looked up at the sound of the familiar boyish voice calling to them.

Kikuchi Makoto ran into the room, waving a colorful flyer around in her hand excitedly. When she got over to the table, she slammed said flyer onto it excitedly and looked up, expecting (and receiving) the looks of confusion on her comrades' faces.

She smiled a catty smile and observed her audience. "The 'King of Iron Fist Tournament'," she read aloud. "A chance for us to prove we're more than just idols, right? It's a fighting tournament."

"F-fighting?" Hagiwara Yukiho gasped. "I…fighting, Makoto-chan…! What made you think someone like me could participate in something like this?'

Makoto gave her best friend a sympathetic look. "You don't have to participate," she insisted softly. "But, I'm signing up for sure. And besides, if you did sing up, Yukiho…I'd protect you. I'd protect you with my _life_."

Yukiho smiled slightly and nodded solemnly, then she turned to examine the other idols.

Akizuki Ritsuko walked into the room and gazed down at the flyer. "King of Iron Fist Tournament. It's here? Hm." She continued to peer at the flyer past her glasses, positioned on the bridge of her nose. She pushed them farther up and flicked her eyes to Makoto, excitedly searching everyone's face for signs of approval. "You sure about this?"

"Positive!" Makoto answered with confidence. "C'mon, Ritsuko-san! You should participate too! It'll be fun. People like us have trained for this kind of thing." She gave her elder's sleeve a pitiful tug. Ritsuko sighed.

"You do realize that taking place in this tournament practically guarantees your death."

"I won't die," Makoto assured her, taking a serious expression. She stared defiantly into Ritsuko's eyes with a look that said, "I'm participating, I'm going to win, and you can't stop me."

Ritsuko finally relented with a nod and Makoto broke into a grin.

"Great! So, anyone else want to try?"

Minase Iori lifted her chin. "You may not know this," she began, "but I know how to use a few firearms."

Makoto looked at her. "Then…you'll do it?"

"Of course! The world must know that Minase Iori-chan is more than just a pretty face." She angled her chin to the tomboyish idol and smirked. "You won't beat me…Makoto."

Makoto met her gaze and frowned. "Stay on your toes, Iori. Not everyone in that arena plays nice."

Iori frowned. "Why should that bother me?"

"Just knowing how to look pretty and shoot guns is not going to get you far at all," Makoto replied. "You have to be quick. Strong. You have to be able to take a hit. Otherwise those dirty tricks are going to slice you to pieces before you can even make a move."

"What kinds of tricks?"

"Magic. I mean magic."

"I…those things…I'll win, darn you! I'll win!"

Makoto shrugged. "If you want to participate then sign up. I don't care if you get torn to bits. It's not my responsibility. But I warned you."

Iori sniffed and turned to the other idols. "Well? Don't leave Makoto and me the only ones."

Ritsuko put her hand out. "…I'm in, you two. No way I'm letting one of my idols go out there without her producer." She smiled at Iori, who stuck her hand on top of Ritsuko's. Makoto grinned and placed her hand rather gently on Iori's, almost to signify a friendship. The two idols exchanged a smile.

There was a silence. Then Miura Azusa reached out and placed her hand on Makoto's. Her hand was immediately followed by Kisaragi Chihaya, then Shijou Takane, and then Amami Haruka joined the mix. Makoto's grin grew broader with every hand that joined the rest. Ganaha Hibiki laughed wildly and slapped her hand on top of Haruka's.

"No way you're doin' this without me!" she cried. "C'mon, Makoto. Let's win this thing!"

"Right!" Makoto cheered. Both idols received a glare from Ritsuko and Iori, who were equally determined.

The twins Futami Ami and Futami Mami shoved their hands on Hibiki's at once, a smirk on their faces. They exchanged a glance and nodded in approval at the large amount of hands in the center.

Hoshii Miki examined the hands and lazily slipped her own on top of Ami and Mami's. She yawned.

Makoto looked expectantly at the last two idols, and no doubt the weakest—Takatsuki Yayoi and Hagiwara Yukiho.

Yayoi glanced at her best friend, then slowly slid her hand on top of Miki's, shaking. She swallowed hard and looked to Yukiho. Yukiho frowned and looked at Makoto.

"_I'll protect you with my _life_."_

With the words of that promise echoing in her heart, Yukihoput her hand on Yayoi's.

It was decided.

The idols of 765 Pro would take place in the King of Iron Fist Tournament.


	2. The Sign-ups

_The Sign-ups_

_ "Next, please," the voice _called out to the next person in line. Yukiho clutched her best friend's hand feebly, looking around at the assembled people (and the occasional animal, like the huge grizzly bear not far away). She took a deep breath. The person in front of her, a tall woman with a blonde ponytail, turned and shot the idols behind her a glare. Yukiho whimpered and scooted behind Makoto, who met the woman's gaze with a frown. The woman sniffed and stalked off, leaving Yukiho face-to-face with the woman at the desk.

"Next," she ordered. Yukiho stepped forwards warily.

"Name?"

"H-Hagiwara Yukiho," Yukiho whispered, then more strongly, "Hagiwara Yukiho!"

The woman nodded. "Age."

"Seventeen," Yukiho answered, trying to sound confident. Behind her, Makoto smiled approvingly

"Height? Weight?"

"Height, 155 centimeters; weight, 42 kilograms." Yukiho tilted her chin. "…m-ma'am."

The woman smiled. "Alright, you're good to go, Hagiwara-chan. Go on and wait for your friend." She nodded to Makoto to step up. Yukiho watched her sign up.

"Name?" the woman prompted.

"Kikuchi Makoto, age 17, height 159 centimeters, weight 44 kilograms," Makoto related. She was practically oozing with confidence. "Anything else?"

The woman smiled. "No, you're good, Kikuchi-kun." Makoto frowned slightly at the sound of being referred to as a "-kun". "Go join your friend."

Makoto nodded and joined Yukiho. "See, this is easy!"

"A-all we did was sign up," Yukiho whimpered.

Makoto scratched her neck and giggled. "True," she murmured. "But, you know…as long as I'm by your side, the rest will be just as easy. See?"

Yukiho beamed and trapped her friend in a hug. "Thank you so much, Makoto-chan."

The two of them embraced for a while while they waited for the other idols (and the rest of the people gathered) to finish signing up. Then it was time to find a place to stay, make as many allies as possible, and just try to plan strategies.

"Newbies, am I correct?"

Makoto and Yukiho whirled to face the direction the voice had come from. Standing in front of them was a group of people. Three of them were girls. The last one seemed like a boy to Yukiho, but at the same time the person had a rather feminine face. She stared, then realized staring was impolite and instead examined the others.

One of the girls had black hair in pigtails and wore an orange kimono. She smiled brightly at the two girls, and equally bright at the other idols who joined them shortly after. The girl next to her had short pink hair and was gazing shyly at the idols. She caught Yukiho staring and offered a friendly wave. Yukiho returned it and looked at the last girl, the one who'd called out to them. She had long, bleach-blonde hair and wore a pretty white dress. She sniffed loudly.

"Welcome to the arena," she greeted somewhat coldly. "Just because you are new, do not expect me to go easy on you. I must win the tournament and make my father proud."

Makoto twitched. Yukiho could tell she was thinking of her own father and what he would think of this.

Iori stepped closer to the bleach-blonde girl. "Same to you," she huffed. "I will show my parents what their little girl can do. So don't get in my way."

The girl examined her. "Minase…right?"  
"Yes…"

"Upon coming to this country, I learned all about your company. It was natural for a girl such as myself to want to know about the big conglomerates of my new home." The girl held out a hand daintily. "I am Lili Rochefort of Monoco. And you are…?"

"Minase Iori," Iori said, and then she corrected herself. "Iori Minase. I assume you are a wealthy lady like myself? You look the part, I must say."

"Indeed," Lili answered, holding her chin high. "A pleasure to meet you, Iori."

"Same to you, Lili."

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Great, now there're two spoiled brats," she muttered under her breath. Iori, occupied with Lili, didn't hear her. "Well, Yukiho? You should try to make some friends."

Yukiho nodded and detached herself from Makoto. After a moment, she approached the pink-haired girl, the one who'd waved. "H-hello."

"Hello," the girl replied. She smiled shyly.

Yukiho smiled back. "I am Hagiwara—Yukiho Hagiwara." She held out her hand tentatively.

"Alisa Bosconovitch," the pink-haired girl announced. "It is nice to meet you, Yukiho."

"Yes, you too." Yukiho turned back to look at Makoto, who smiled and nodded. Yukiho's smile grew wider. "Is this your first year in the tournament?"

"My third," answered Alisa. "Is it your first?"

"Yes," Yukiho said.

"I can show you some tips," Alisa offered. "I remember my first tournament. It's a little scary, isn't it?"

"Very," Yukiho agreed. "Th-there are so many more powerful people here…!"

"It's frightening, yes," Alisa murmured. "But I have a friend to help me, so it is not so bad." She glanced at the girl in the pigtails, who was chattering excitedly with Haruka and Yayoi. "Do you have a friend here?"

"Yes, my best friend, Makoto-chan. She's over—" Yukiho broke off. Her best friend wasn't where she'd left her. She turned and found the girl staring at the last person. She blinked and pointed. "Over there."

Alisa nodded. The two sat in silence and watched Makoto observe the person. Suddenly, the boyish girl pointed at the other and declared, "Girl."

The boy/girl/whatever it was blinked and then smiled. "Yeah, that's right," they said. "You too."

"Exactly!" Makoto gasped. "Really, does it have to be so hard for people to figure out?!"

"I know how you feel. I mean, I like to think I look like a perfectly good girl."

"Me too! It's annoying! I'm Makoto. Makoto Kikuchi."

The person (or rather, the girl) smiled and reached out a hand to grab Makoto's. "Leo. Leo Kliesen."

"Nice to meet you, Leo! Cute name."

"You think so? Well, yours is kinda cute too, y'know."

"Ehehe, thanks…"

Yukiho beamed upon seeing everyone make friends. She glanced over at Alisa, who was then joined by the girl in the orange kimono.

"Hey, Alisa!" she yelped. "Have you met Haruka and Yayoi?"

Alisa shook her head and looked over at the two grinning girls. "Hello, I am Alisa Bosconovitch."

"I'm Takatsuki Yayoi!" Yayoi exclaimed. "I mean…here, I would be Yayoi Takatsuki, right? U-uun! I'm so excited now!"

"And I'm Haruka Amami," Haruka greeted.

"I-I'm Yukiho Hagiwara," Yukiho told the orange-kimono girl.

"Xiaoyu Ling," she replied. "Nice to meet you, Yukiho!"

"You too," Yukiho commented.

"You guys."

Everyone turned to look at Ritsuko, who waved her hand and shook her head at the people who weren't her idols. "Not you guys. Yukiho, Haruka, Yayoi, Makoto, and Iori. You five."

The other four girls turned away and began their own conversations.

"Look, as sweet as this is, we really have to find a place to stay," Ritsuko sighed. "Iori…I hate to ask, but do you think you could use your connections and get us a free stay somewhere? We can't afford to rent an apartment or anything."

"Naturally." Iori flipped her hair. "Just tell me what to do."

Ritsuko nodded and gathered her idols about her. Then she led the girls away, towards a place where they could find shelter. The girls called some goodbyes to the others and then vanished from the site of the arena.

The older man watched the group of thirteen idols wander away from the arena and smirked.

"Heh," he muttered. "Newbies. What a bunch of naïve fools. They have no idea who—and what—they are up against." He cackled darkly and leaned against a post. "They'll be easy little bugs to squash. I can't wait to hear their screams as they beg for mercy from my crushing strength."

The man finally turned and left to go to the place where he would spend the night, cackling again in an evil way. The wind seemed to pass his name along as a warning to avoid this madman; a last warning to run while you still could. And Yukiho could just barely hear the wind's foreboding message:

_Heihachi Mishima._

She shivered and moved closer to Makoto.

Heihachi Mishima.

Heihachi Mishima.

Again and again she repeated the name in her mind, trying not to forget it. "Heihachi Mishima."

"What was that?" Makoto asked, looking down at the shorter girl.

"Heihachi Mishima," Yukiho reported. "I…something tells me we should avoid him."

Makoto shrugged. "Well, I don't know who he is but—"

"Did you say Heihachi Mishima?" Ritsuko cut in.

Yukiho nodded. "Yes."

To her surprise (and slight irritation) Ritsuko started to laugh.

"Don't be ridiculous." She chuckled. "Heihachi Mishima is dead. He was killed over a year ago by his own grandson! He's not here."

"B-but…!" Yukiho protested.

"Trust me," Ritsuko insisted. "He's dead."

Despite her assurance, Yukiho couldn't relax. And she knew that no matter what, she would do everything she could to avoid the wrath of Heihachi Mishima.


	3. The First Match

_The Unexpected Rule/The First Match_

_ "Ladies and gentlemen!" _the announcer called. "I welcome you all to the King of Iron Fist Tournament!"

The audience cheered loudly. The announcer waited.

"Now, I have a very important announcement to make."

Haruka gripped her friend Chihaya's hand as tight as she could.

"Ow."

"Sorry, Chihaya-chan!" Haruka gasped, loosening her grip.

"It's OK," Chihaya muttered. "Listen, Haruka. He's about to speak."

Haruka obeyed.

"There is a new rule," the announcer called. "In the previous years, a simple knockout would grant victory."

The audience nodded and murmured amongst themselves.

"But," the announcer continued, "this year, thanks to a request put in by Mr. Heihachi Mishima, the only way to win is through death."

The audience gasped. A couple people screamed.

The announcer was silent. When he spoke again, his voice was grim. "Yes, folks, you heard me right. If you successfully kill your opponent, you will advance to the next match."

Haruka started trembling. "We…kill?" she whispered. "…Chihaya-chan, I can't…"

"Relax," Chihaya ordered. "I'm sure this was just a joke."

Haruka started at the sound of Yayoi and Yukiho's loud sobs.

"Killing!" Yayoi wailed. "Iori-chan, I can't do it! I'm scared! I want to go home!"

"Makoto-chan!" Yukiho sobbed. "Makoto-chan, p-please…! Please help me!"

Makoto put her arm around the shaken girl and frowned. "This is not what I signed up for, you guys…"

"Heihachi Mishima!" Yukiho cried. "I-I told you he was evil! H-he did this…! Makoto-chan…!"

Makoto squeezed the sobbing girl closer. It was all she could think to do. Yayoi wailed loudly into Iori's shoulder. The other girls frowned and exchanged worried looks.

"That is all. Now, onto the first match of the tournament! Are you ready?!" the announcer yelled. The crowd cheered. "Are you sure?" The crowd cheered louder "Alright!"

The idols all grabbed hands, standing in their neat row. The girls they'd met on their first day, Xiaoyu, Alisa, Leo, and Lili, looked at them worriedly and chattered amongst themselves.

"The first competitor is…"

Haruka gripped Chihaya's hand desperately.

"Lei Wulong!"

Haruka let out a breath of relief.

A man wearing a long, black ponytail and a blue decorated robe staggered out onto the field slowly. He looked around for his opponent, but he wore a frown on his face. It was obvious he was not happy about having to kill his opponent.

"His opponent will be…"

Again Haruka squeezed Chihaya's hand. This time, Chihaya squeezed back.

"…Miki Hoshii!"

The idols fell completely silent.

_Miki-chan? Why Miki-chan? No!_

The lazy blonde idol took a confident step forward, her chin held high and a grimace on her face. She looked across to Hibiki, shaking with sobs, and then to Takane, who nodded solemnly, and cracked a smile for her comrades' sakes.

"Don't worry," she soothed. "Miki won't die. Miki promises~nano."

"Ya better not!" Hibiki cried. "Miki…!"

Miki grinned and started off into the arena, facing her opponent, the man named Lei. Lei's frown deepened when he saw Miki.

"A lady?" he slurred. "I'm…killing a lady?"

"A pop idol," Miki added. "Miki is an idol from 765 Pro. So go easy on Miki, OK? Miki has to get back to her Honey, after all."

Lei glared over at the announcer. "This is ridiculous. As an officer of the law, it is particularly distasteful for me to _kill_ anyone, especially a lady."

"Sorry, I didn't make the rules," the announcer sighed. "I just announce them."

"Heihachi Mishima," Lei growled. He turned to look at Miki. "…I'm sorry. This isn't my idea."

"Miki doesn't want to die…"

"Well, unfortunately for you…" Lei closed his eyes. "…neither do I."

Suddenly, Lei leapt at Miki, running at her with his hand curled into a fist. Miki, alarmed, instinctually jumped away from the oncoming fist and ran to the opposite side of the arena.

"Go, Miki! Go!" Hibiki shouted.

"Miki-chan, you can do it!" Haruka yelled. But even as she said the words, she knew they weren't true. Lei jumped after Miki again with incredible speed and knocked the blonde idol off her feet, forcing out all her breath in the process. Miki gasped.

Lei pulled a bottle from beneath his coat (where he got said bottle, the world will never know) and knocked it against his hand a couple of times. Miki coughed. "I want to end this," Lei muttered. "I'm sorry. I'm very sorry." He reached over and broke the bottle on Miki's head, causing the girl to gasp again and scratches to appear on her head. Grasping the broken neck of the bottle, Lei leaned over Miki and raised his "weapon". His eyes clouded with regret as he stared down at the terrified girl.

"Miki!" Hibiki howled. "Miki…Miki, no!"

"M-Miki doesn't know how to fight," Miki whimpered. She coughed. "Miki wants to go home."

"I do too," Lei admitted. "Knocking people out? Eh, I do that all the time! It's no problem. But killing…is something I never wanted to do."

"Can Miki have your weapon?" Miki begged. "So that Miki can have a fair chance…nano."

"Sorry, no can do, Goldilocks," Lei answered. "I have to end this. I'm sorry."

Miki let out a wail, but it was cut short as the sharp end of the broken bottle neck plunged into her neck. She choked up sprinkles of crimson blood and Haruka heard Hibiki and Takane gasp. Hibiki screamed. Haruka's hand tightened around Chihaya's. Chihaya flinched.

"Haruka, ow."

"Sorry..." She looked expectantly at Miki. Lei had since gotten off of her and dropped the bloody bottle on the ground. He frowned deeply and shook his head, muttering to himself things like "what have I done?" or "I can't believe it…"

The bleeding and choking Miki coughed violently and started to sob quietly. Lei again bent to lift the bloody bottle.

"You're still alive."

"Y-yes," Miki whimpered. She let out a cry of agony.

Lei's eyes softened. "Stay still. If I reach your heart I think you'll die faster." He added a hesitant laugh. "Y'know, if I picture you as Kazuya or Jin, this doesn't seem half-bad."

Someone snorted in annoyance. Haruka couldn't tell who.

Miki tried to smile. "Th-thank you." She paused. "…nano."

Lei smiled back grimly. Then, he raised the neck of the bottle again and drove it back down into Miki's heart. Miki screamed in pain.

There was silence.

"…I missed."

"M-Miki knows…!"

"Here, I'll try again."

"W-wait—"

Again, Lei stabbed her with the broken bottle neck. This time, Miki cried out one more time and then fell silent. There were a few more seconds of her ragged breathing; then her eyes rolled back into her head and her lungs ceased working. Lei stood slowly, gazing down at the bloody mess that had become Miki's corpse. He wiped blood from his brow and sniffed loudly.

Glaring now, he pointed up into the throng of other competitors at an old-looking man with spiked-up grey hair and a scowl on his face. "You!" he shouted. "This is what your little rule has done! You happy, Heihachi Mishima?!"

Yukiho gasped in alarm and scooted against Makoto, who held her close gently.

Ritsuko's eyes widened. "He's alive…?"

The man called Heihachi glared down at Lei and then turned to Miki. He smirked.

"You should be thanking me," he hissed. "We don't need weaklings like that getting in the way. Only the strongest—only the most powerful—only me! Only _I_ deserve to stand at the top!"

He put his hands on his hips and cackled evilly. Lei looked like he was about to throw the broken bottle at him. Eventually, the police detective just turned and stalked off, a world of intense fury embedded in his gaze. He clenched his fists and offered the fallen idol on the ground a last regretful glance before vanishing off the arena. Hibiki screamed again and wailed into Takane's shoulder, who held the trembling and sobbing girl against her gently.

Haruka let the tears in her eyes break loose. "Ch-Chihaya-chan…"

"What?"

"This…Miki-chan is…!"

"Yes, I know."

"Why?"

Chihaya shrugged. "There was nothing we could do, Haruka."

The idols fell silent except for Hibiki, still crying piteously into Takane. She slammed her fist weakly against the older idol's arm.

"Why?!" she snapped. "Why'd we come here?! Miki's dead! Miki is DEAD!"

No one said a word.

"…guys."

Everyone turned to look over at Makoto, gently squeezing the crying Yukiho against her body, her eyes fixed on Miki's corpse. They were lit with terror, shock, and most of all, remorse. She looked over at Haruka, then turned to Ritsuko and Iori, and lastly to Hibiki and Takane.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made you all come."

"Ya think?!" Hibiki lashed, balling her hand into a fist and whirling furiously on Makoto. "Makoto, Miki is dead, OK?! We can't ever bring 'er back! What, did ya actually expect her to be able to survive in a tournament like this?"

"I didn't force her to come, alright?!" Makoto snapped back. "Joining the tournament was Miki's choice in the end! And besides, how on Earth was I supposed to know we had to _kill_ each other?!"

Hibiki fell silent. A few sniffles, and then she turned back to Takane and cried some more.

Haruka looked at Yayoi, who broke into a wail and turned towards Iori. She frowned.

"I-Iori-chan," Yayoi whimpered. "Iori-chan, I'm going to die here!"

"Makoto-chan! You promised me…y-you promised me I would be OK…!" Yukiho cried.

"And you will be." Makoto looked over at Yayoi. "All of you. I promise."

"How can you be so sure?" Yayoi whispered.

"Because I'm not going to let them kill any more of you. Heck, I'll throw myself into the middle of the arena and get stabbed in the brain to spare you guys, if that's what I have to do."

"D-don't die!" Yukiho and Haruka ordered at once.

Makoto smiled at them weakly. "Trust me, it's not my first choice," she said lightly. "But if I have to protect you guys then—"

"Couldn't ya have decided that just a minute sooner?" Hibiki muttered.

"I'm sorry," Makoto repeated. "But there's nothing we can do now."

"Yeah, NOW there isn't," Hibiki responded. "…whatever. I'm goin' home. Takane?"

Takane nodded slowly. "Hibiki, is it not correct that Miki was perfectly willing to participate? No one forced her into it. If anything, it is Miki's own fault for being willing to fight even though she does not know how."

Hibiki sniffled. "Right…I guess you're right. But that doesn't matter 'cause she's still dead!"

"I know, Hibiki. Come, let's go home…"

There was a long period of silence. Ritsuko sighed.

"We should go home," she murmured.

Haruka nodded. "Don't worry, you guys," she said, trying to sound positive. "In the end, this will all work out. I promise!"

"You do realize we could end up fighting each other, right?" Iori said suddenly. "I'm serious."

"If that happens, the weaker one of us fakes a death," Makoto said immediately. "Do something to them that you know won't actually kill them, but it looks like it will. Like…pretend to strangle them. And then, the weaker person just fakes a death."

"Genius!" Azusa gasped suddenly. "Makoto-chan, that makes such perfect sense! Ah, but…if we don't face each other we'll really die." She said even this last part with a smile.

_Classic Azusa-san, _Haruka thought.

Makoto smiled slightly at the praise she received. "Then…we'll just have to win."

"How?" Yayoi sniffed.

"Iori and Ritsuko and I can teach you," Makoto replied. "And I'm sure Hibiki will help too."

"So, you mean…you'll teach us how to fight?"

"Exactly."

"Yay! U-uun, somehow I feel a lot better..!"

"I-I too…I too will try my best…!"

"That's the spirit!" Makoto laughed half-heartedly. "Great, now let's head home so we can get started."

"Right…!"


	4. The Seventh Match

_ The Seventh Match_

_ "I will now announce the _next match!" the announcer declared. The audience cheered loudly. "Now, the first competitor is…"

The idols waited. So far in the competition, Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro, Robert "Bob" Richards, Zafina, Julia Chang, and lastly, Lei Wulong himself, had been defeated, in addition to Miki.

Azusa couldn't help but notice that most of them were defeated by either Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi's son; Heihachi himself; or Heihachi's grandson, Jin Kazama. The three of them were beastly strong, and the thing that scared Azusa the most was that they seemed to have no problem killing others. The other people she'd seen fighting were the blonde-ponytail-woman who Yukiho had seen the first day and a tall, muscular man with short-cropped grey hair and a scar on his face.

She heard the crowd cheering and realized that the first competitor had been announced. She was a tall woman, with short brown hair and an ever-present seductive smirk on her face. She wore a red low-cut kimono, patterned, webbed leggings, and red high heels. Azusa frowned.

_What a pretty woman. I wonder how she fights…?_

"Miss Anna's opponent shall be…"

Azusa waited. Since Miki, the idols hadn't had a single fight. She was expecting one of them to go out there.

She wasn't expecting it to be Iori.

"Iori Minase!"

Azusa gasped and looked over at Iori, who was then bowled into by Ami.

The two twins had decided to compete under Ami's name and simply switch places when one of them was feeling too tired. The only way Azusa could tell it was Ami was because the young girl was clinging desperately to Iori's arm, begging her unit partner not to go. Azusa watched Iori silently detach Ami from herself. She pulled two guns from her holsters (Azusa, being Azusa, had no idea what kind of gun they were) and twirled them on her fingers, then headed out.

The woman in the arena, presumably named Anna, frowned slightly at the sight of Iori strolling confidently out to meet her.

"You're my opponent?" she sighed. "You don't look like much. A woman like me should easily be able to dispose of you." She smirked.

Iori snorted, amused. "Really, now?" she half-purred. "You know, I'm really going to enjoy killing you."

"Go, Iorin!" Ami shouted.

"Iori-chan, fight!" Yayoi called.

"Do your best, Iori-chan!" Azusa yelled.

Anna snickered. "Cute 'fan club'."

"Thanks," Iori responded. "Yours too."

"Why, thank y—"

"Wait…" Iori cut in. "…you don't have one."

"Of course I do!" Anna scoffed. She pointed into the audience at a bunch of men with the letters on her name painted onto their torsos. Around them were other men and the occasional woman chanting her name.

"That's all?" Iori asked innocently. She pointed up to the ten idols cheering for her, and then to the audience at her fans cheering with them.

Anna scowled. "You're just a little girl," she hissed. "Look, my only business is with my sister. So _get out of my way_!"

Instantly, Anna ran towards Iori, who raised her guns and squinted. Anna stopped, crouched, and skidded slightly, then her foot shot up and slammed into Iori's chin. Iori gasped and flew backwards, the guns flying out of her hands.

"No…!" Azusa gasped. "Iori-chan!"

Iori gritted her teeth and rolled out of the way of Anna's next oncoming attack. She scrambled to her feet and ran after the twin guns. Anna charged after her and slid into the girl, knocking her flat on her face. Anna slammed the heel of her palm into the center of Iori's back, causing a loud crack.

Iori screamed and reached forwards feebly for her gun. She winced with the effort, crawling towards the precious objects just a little at a time.

"I don't think so, 'honey'," Anna laughed, moving on top of Iori to stop her movement. Iori grunted and stretched her hand out just a little more. Anna raised her hand to break another portion of Iori's back, just as Iori managed to grab hold of her gun. Grunting again, she rolled herself over, forcing Anna off, and crawled towards her other gun. She managed to get it before Anna stood up, glaring down at the girl.

"Why don't you stay still and die?" Anna hissed. "Come on…I promise I'll make it easy for you."

Iori snickered. "Whatever you say," she sighed. "But you do know I'm not going to die here, right?"

"Well, I'm sure as heck not losing either!" Anna lashed.

Iori suddenly rolled onto her back and pointed both guns at Anna. Anna lunged forwards to slam her foot into Iori's head. Azusa closed her eyes to avoid the outcome.

There was a series of _bang_s. A couple screams, a horrible splattering sound…then silence. The idols were completely still. Azusa dared to crack one eye open and gasped.

Iori was lying on the ground where she'd been before, panting and crying. Slumped on top of her was Anna. The woman had holes all over her body. Iori shoved her off of her own body and slowly rose to her feet. The pain in her back forced her to collapse back onto her hands and knees. Anna was completely still. There was more silence.

Then Iori's fan club erupted into applause and Anna's fan club cried out in anger and disbelief. Somewhere with the rest of the competitors, the blond-ponytail-woman tried to decide whether she was happy about her sister's death or whether she would have preferred to do it herself. Azusa practically leapt for joy. A team of paramedics ran down to Iori and lifted the injured idol onto a cot.

"Nihihi!" Iori laughed hoarsely. "I'm more than just a pretty face, you know…!"

"Iorin! Iorin! Iorin!" Ami chanted. The rest of the idols joined the chant and Iori grinned past the tears of pain running down her face. Lili Rochefort clapped happily at the success of her new friend.

Azusa grinned broadly. "Ara, ara…how lucky we are that Iori-chan was able to survive."

"To be honest, I thought for sure she would die," Chihaya murmured beside her.

"So did I," Lili said, appearing out of nowhere. "What luck that she managed to reach those guns in time. Without them, I'm afraid our friend would have been cut short in seconds."

"True," Azusa replied. She sighed.

"Well, what matters is that she won!" Yayoi laughed. "I'm so happy…!"

"Right!" Azusa cheered.

Makoto grinned. "See, guys? It isn't all impossible."

"It is for us!" Yukiho whined.

"Relax. I'll protect you."

"I-I'm still terrified, though!"

"If you have to," Makoto began, "don't be afraid to use that shovel of yours. I'm not kidding. Don't use it to dig a hole, because you'll just end up trapping yourself. Just…swing it around until you hear a crack."

Yukiho nodded slowly and burrowed into her friends chest. Makoto giggled and hugged her.

Azusa watched Iori get wheeled away into the medical room. She smiled. "Well, I'm sure Iori-chan will be OK, at least. I look forward to seeing the rest of you fight."

There was a silence.

"Maybe," Ritsuko said quietly. "But I don't think any of us are actually looking forward to fighting."

**(A/N: And there you have it. Two matches down, a bunch to go. If any of you have requests for characters you'd like to see either die or go really far, let me know through a PM! I'm gonna need help. Can't just listen to the "dice gods" the whole book. I wanted to apologize to people whose favorite characters are already dead. I dunno, I just kinda picked them at random. Except for Anna, I did that one on purpose, kinda. Anyways! I also wanted to apologize for getting some characters way out of character, if I did that, because I'm not all that familiar with every last detail of the Tekken characters. iDOLM STER? Pretty much. Tekken? No way. So...that's all there is to it. That, and that I really have to stop writing new fan-fics when I already have like...six going at once.)**


	5. The Eighth Match

_The Eighth Match_

_ "The next match will now _begin!"

Takane smiled slightly. So far, the only idol that had been lost was Miki. But, then again, Miki and Iori were the only idols who had fought. She felt a pang of sadness at the memory of Miki's corpse lying lifeless on the ground. For a moment, she glanced at Hibiki. The black-haired idol was smiling, leaning forwards excitedly. She seemed to have recovered greatly from the experience with Miki.

The announcer cleared his throat into the microphone. "The first competitor is Chihaya Kisaragi!"

The blue-haired idol wandered out into the arena, seeming completely unfazed by the announcement. She waited.

"Her opponent shall be Takane Shijou!"

Takane blinked. _Me? I'll be fighting Chihaya?_

She stood and walked out into the arena. "Chihaya, dear, it is not my pleasure to be fighting against you, but unfortunately only one of us can win. You know that, do you not?"

"Yes, of course I understand, Shijou-san," Chihaya murmured. "Do you want to move on?"

"Chihaya, I cannot allow you to pass this match."

Chihaya closed her eyes. "Then it's settled." She opened them again, staring straight into Takane's own eyes. "I will win."

Before Takane could react, Chihaya was charging at her, a passion and a fury alight in her eyes. Startled, Takane was knocked to the ground. Grunting, she shoved the blue-haired Chihaya off of her and rolled onto her feet. Chihaya stood and ran at the silver-haired Takane, who backed against the wall. She certainly didn't want Chihaya to die; she was actually quite fond of the little sixteen-year-old songstress. But she wasn't about to lose. Chihaya seemed to see that; she read the emotion in Takane's eyes and concluded that she was not about to fail. Quickly, she veered away from the foreign girl and planted her feet firmly in the middle of the arena.

_We owe this crowd a good performance, _Takane thought to herself. She had been planning on just letting Chihaya run into the wall, but obviously the other girl had different plans. Takane sighed.

"Chihaya. It's time to settle this, don't you agree?" she murmured.

"Come at me, Shijou-san." Chihaya lifted her chin. "I dare you."

"As you wish."

Takane charged the younger girl, her hand balled into a fist. Chihaya leapt aside nimbly and circled around until she was behind Takane. Takane started to turn around, but before she had made a full rotation Chihaya ran up behind her and kicked her in the back. Takane stumbled and fell to her hands and knees. Chihaya looked as though she would try to kick her again, but Takane rolled out of the way and jumped to her feet, careful to face Chihaya at all times.

Slowly, she backed against the wall again. _It is time to finish things._ She watched Chihaya eye her cautiously; then the blue-haired idol ran at her again, bent forwards slightly as if she was expecting to slam her head against the wall. And when Takane dodged away at the last second, that was exactly what happened.

What neither of them realized was that Chihaya had been running with so much speed that the force with which she hit the ball smashed her skull right in.

She gasped, staggered, and fell back, breathing heavily. Takane stared, bewildered.

_Did I…actually kill her?_

Takane approached Chihaya's body and knelt beside it. Chihaya's eyes were frozen open, her mouth dropped slightly. Takane frowned.

"Chihaya…?"

Suddenly, Chihaya winked. If Takane had not been searching her face, she would have missed it. She smiled. Sensing that her eyes probably hurt from being so wide open, she reached out and closed them with her fingers. Upon close examination, Takane realized that Chihaya was still breathing. They were small breaths, so that it wouldn't be easy for the public to realize she was breathing, but Chihaya was definitely still alive. Takane stood and bowed to her body, then turned and walked out of the arena. The crowd cheered.

Takane stopped by a team of paramedics. "Please, would you care for my friend's body?" she asked. "I would like her to be comfortable in the next life. Please treat her as though she were still alive."

Thinking nothing of Takane's small request, the paramedics nodded and walked out to Chihaya, lifting her body onto a cot and rolling her away. Takane re-joined her friends up on the first floor of the arena.

Haruka ran to her and gripped her hand. "Takane-san! Is Chihaya-chan alright?"

"She is alive," Takane said quietly, so as not to let the other competitors know. "I had a team of paramedics care for her."

"Thank goodness!" Haruka sighed, relieved. "Takane-san, I was so scared…!"

"I know, but I assure you she is alive."

Haruka giggled and dragged Takane over to the rest of the idols, where she was immediately tackled by Hibiki.

"Ya did well!" the Okinawan girl praised. "Outwittin' Chihaya like that was genius, Takane!"

"Thank you," Takane said. "Now then, I suppose we wait, do we not?"

"Let's hope that I don't fight next," Yayoi responded. "I don't think I'm ready yet."

"Remember, Yayoi," Iori began, "you're small so you can outrun most of these people. Do like what Takane did; wait for them to charge you and then dodge. Just use your size as an advantage."

"U-uun!" Yayoi cheered. "Iori-chan, you give the best advice…!"

"A-and as for me," Yukiho whimpered. "…I swing around a shovel."

"Exactly," Makoto praised. "Relax, you two. Unless you fight someone beastly strong, you'll be fine."

"I will now announce the next match!" the announcer cried.

The idols shifted.

"The first competitor will be…Heihachi Mishima!"

"Again?!" Ritsuko moaned. "That's the third time this guy has fought in these rounds, and he's supposed to be dead, anyways!"

The spiky-grey-haired Heihachi wandered into the arena, cackling evilly and rubbing his hands. "Who is my next victim…excuse me, opponent?" he called to the announcer.

The announcer gulped. "His opponent shall be…"

Everyone was completely still.

"Yayoi Takatsuki!"


	6. The Shocking Match

_The Shocking Match_

_ "The next match will be _Heihachi Mishima versus Yayoi Takatsuki!"

_Heihachi Mishima versus Yayoi Takatsuki!_

_ Heihachi Mishima versus Yayoi Takatsuki!_

Iori was completely frozen stiff. Every idol, every competitor, on their side of the arena's first floor knew that soon, they would be watching a fourteen-year-old girl get brutally murdered through this glass. Yayoi herself was shaking, trembling, frozen in fear. She was petrified of facing that man. All of the idols were.

"Yayoi Takatsuki?" the announcer called. "Yayoi? Where are you?"

Yayoi made a choked noise and started to cry. "I...I can't…!"

"Yayoi? Would someone please get her down there?" the announcer sighed. Heihachi looked like he was getting impatient.

Yayoi broke into sobs. "I can't! I can't go, I can't fight Heihachi-san, I can't die, I'm terrified, I can't move…" She trailed off. "Someone help me!"

Iori flinched and tried to keep herself from crying. She had to be strong for her best friend's sake. She took a few deep breaths and tried to smile past the pain in her back…and in her heart.

Makoto grabbed Yayoi's shoulders and spun the girl towards her. "Yayoi."

"No! Y-you don't understand, I-I can't—"

"Yayoi. I am not going to let you die. OK?"

Yayoi sniffed. "What…?"

Makoto smiled grimly. "I said I was going to protect you guys. I got you into this mess, and no matter what I am going to get you out of it alive. I promise."

"W-what can you do…?"

"If things look grim, I will _personally_ throw myself into the center of the arena and kill Heihachi Mishima three-thousand-fifty-two times over. I won't let him kill you. I promise," Makoto said seriously. "I mean it, Yayoi. You'll be fine. Just listen to Iori's advice and run as much as you can. Try to trick him into hurting himself."

Yayoi nodded. "Right. I…r-right!" she yelped. "…Makoto-san, can I have a high touch?"

Makoto chuckled. "Sure." She held up her hand and Yayoi gave her a high touch. Then she ran to Iori, all the while listening to the announcer, the crowd, and Heihachi himself angrily muttering about her whereabouts.

"High touch, Iori-chan!" Yayoi giggled. "Make it a good one!"

Iori sniffed and gave her a hug instead, then pulled away and gave her a high touch, and then another hug.

"…Yayoi?"

"Yeah, Iori-chan?"

"…I love you, Yayoi. Be careful out there, OK?"

"I love you too, Iori-chan. Thank you for everything."

Iori sniffed again and smiled. "Yeah…thank you too. You've shown me there's more to life then just being rich and beautiful. I really appreciate your friendship."

"Iori-chan," Yayoi whined, "you make it seem like I'm going to die. But Makoto-san isn't going to let that happen. Right?"

"Right," Makoto agreed. Yayoi grinned.

Iori retreated from the hug, wiping her eyes, and sent Yayoi off. The young girl ran around giving everyone a high touch before happily bounding down the stairs. As soon as she had left, Iori whirled angrily on Makoto.

"You!" she shouted. "You had _better _not break that promise! If that girl dies, I am holding you one-hundred-percent responsible!"

"She won't die," Makoto replied. "I promise you she won't."

Iori glared at her for another moment before turning her attention to the arena, where Yayoi had just joined Heihachi. She was smiling.

"Heihachi-san!" she cheered. "Heihachi-san, I know you are very strong, but I don't really know how to fight. Please take care of me, and if you could go a little easy, my friends and I would appreciate it."

_What is she doing? _Iori wondered. She giggled. _That girl…she's so energetic all the time. …I'm scared for her._

She cast a glance at Makoto, staring intensely at the man named Heihachi, just waiting for him to go too far so she could jump in and stop him. It was almost as if she was looking forwards to attacking him. Iori looked over at Ritsuko.

"Hey, Demo—Ritsuko-san," she said.

Ritsuko turned. "Yeah, Iori?"

"Is it—you know, legal—for someone to jump into the arena for the sake of saving a life?"

"Iori, this is the King of Iron Fist tournament. Everything is legal."

"Oh. Good."

Iori turned back towards the arena. The match was just starting.

Heihachi ran straight at Yayoi immediately, one hand extended towards her neck and the other balled into a fist. Yayoi screamed and ran away, towards the opposite side of the arena. Iori clenched and unclenched her fists furiously to keep from throwing something sharp at Heihachi.

Heihachi growled and jumped at the girl again. Yayoi ducked beneath him and ran.

"Go, Yayoi-chan!" Iori yelled. "You got it! Tire him out!"

"You got this, Yayoicchi!" Ami/Mami screamed.

Yayoi took a few deep breaths to calm herself down and dodged Heihachi's next oncoming attack. She faced him always, never letting the man out of her sight. For just a second, her vision flicked to a large, jagged rock over by the edge of the arena, but it was all the time Heihachi needed. He ran over to Yayoi faster than any man his size and age should have been able to run and grabbed the girl by the arm. Yayoi screamed and slammed her fist onto his wrist, trying desperately to free herself, but it was no use. Heihachi lifted her off the ground and placed the girl across his shoulders to that her back was on his body.

Makoto tensed and placed one foot on the ledge in front of the glass separating her from Yayoi. Iori watched her. Satisfied, she turned back to the arena.

"Come on, Yayoi-chan! You can do it! Roll over…roll over, Yayoi-chan!" she shouted.

"You're such an annoying little bug," Heihachi hissed. Slowly, he moved one arm across Yayoi's neck and the other across her knees. "I'm going to enjoy crushing you!"

"P-please!" Yayoi begged. "Please let me go! I-I have a family…and they need me! I'm the oldest of six siblings and my parents are always working, and they need my income as an idol, so please! You have to let me go, Heihachi-san!"

In response, Heihachi pulled down and Yayoi's back cracked loudly. She let out a pitiful wail.

"Tch, all this talk of family makes me sick," Heihachi snapped. "You're such a pitiful creature, Yayoi Takatsuki! Did you actually believe you had any chance of beating _me_?!" He cackled evilly.

Makoto was poised to spring. Iori ran to her.

"Do something!" she ordered.

"Not yet," Makoto hissed. "Just be patient. I know what I'm doing."

"He's going to kill her!" Iori shrieked. "Do something already, stupid!"

"I said, be patient!" Makoto lashed. Iori grunted and faced the arena.

"Come on, Yayoi! You can do it!"

Heihachi pulled down again and Yayoi's back broke even more. She screamed in agony and Heihachi laughed.

"NO!" Iori yelled. "Makoto, you IDIOT! Do something or she'll die! You promised us she wouldn't die!"

"Just a little longer…"

"What the he** are you waiting for, dangit!?"

"Just hold on, will you?!"

Heihachi pulled yet again. This time, blood splattered from Yayoi's broken back and she cried out in pain. Heihachi closed his eyes and broke into an evil laugh. The second he did, Makoto lifted her arms to her face to shield it and sprang into the glass. It shattered to pieces, and Makoto fell to the arena floor, landing in a crouch.

Heihachi, preoccupied with his evil laughter and listening to Yayoi's screams, didn't seem to notice her. Iori suddenly understood the delay.

"Heihachi!" Makoto yelled, immediately running at the man. Heihachi bent Yayoi's back even further and it seemed as though any second now, the girl would break in half.

Iori counted down the feet until Makoto would reach him. _20…15…10…she's right there…!_

And then, all at once, Heihachi's eyes opened and he spotted the other girl running at him, looking entirely prepared to kick him in the face, or twist his arm off of Yayoi, or grab him by the neck—which was exactly what Heihachi did to Yayoi now. Clutching the smaller girl by the throat, he swung her around, off of his back, and towards Makoto. Makoto only had time to let out a small gasp before Yayoi's legs slammed into her face, and she was forced backwards against the wall. Yayoi choked and grabbed desperately at the hands around her neck.

"YAYOI!" Iori screeched. "Yayoi, no! NO!"

Makoto wiped her face and stood slowly, prepared to attempt to attack Heihachi again, but before she could even move, Heihachi threw Yayoi against the wall and the girl's back exploded in blood. She coughed and fell to the floor. The next few seconds passed in slow motion. Makoto ignored Heihachi and instead ran to Yayoi, calling her name. Yayoi cough and spluttered and bled and cried, until at last, her ragged breathing faded to nothing and her heart ceased. By the time Makoto reached her, she was already dead.

Iori was frozen. "No…no…no, no, no, no…NO! Yayoi, you…you…!"

The crowd applauded, as if they found the idea of a grown man mercilessly killing a little girl the most incredible thing on Earth. Heihachi cackled and faced Makoto, staring down at the dead Yayoi and whispering to herself.

"Do you see now?" Heihachi laughed. "None of you will ever defeat me! NOBODY will ever defeat me! Do you understand?!"

"You monster!" Makoto yelled, turning her furious gaze on the man who'd killed this innocent little girl. Heihachi chuckled and turned away.

"I've been called that before. It doesn't bother me, little boy."

"I'm a GIRL, da** you!"

"Whatever." Heihachi vanished. He was soon replaced by Iori.

"You!" she screamed. "You promised us that she wouldn't die! You promised _her_! She trusted you!"

"I'm sorry, OK?!" Makoto snapped. She turned back to Yayoi. "I'm…I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't bring my best friend back to life!"

"Well, neither does screaming at me!"

Iori let the words sink in before she collapsed on the ground beside Makoto and started to weep. Makoto slipped an arm around her shoulder, but Iori shrugged it off. Makoto frowned.

"Iori…"

"You liar!" Iori wailed. "You were supposed to protect them!"

"Why didn't you do anything, huh?"

"I…because you were supposed to do it!"

Makoto shook her head. "Forget it. It's done. I'm really sorry, Iori. I tried, but he was just too quick."

Iori stood, sniffling piteously. She shook her head. "You know, I never really cared about you much before, but now I _really _hate you, you know that?!"

"I'm sorry."

"Just stop it already!" Iori cried. "Just…just stop it! She's dead and there's nothing we can do!"

Before Makoto could say another word, Iori turned and ran out of the arena. Makoto sighed and faced Yayoi again.

"You're really gone, aren't you?" she whispered. "I'm sorry. I was supposed to protect you, huh?"

Yayoi twitched, a last involuntary action before she fell completely still. Makoto lifted her into her arms slowly and stood. She started walking out of the arena, but paused in the middle. Iori re-entered the first floor waiting area to stand with Azusa and Ami/Mami. She watched as Makoto did something most surprising to her.

She laughed.

Iori bristled. "How dare she…?!"

But the longer she listened, the more she realized how insane Makoto's laughter sounded. She looked down at Yayoi, dead in her arms.

"You know what I'm going to do now?" she asked loudly between fits of mad laughter. "I'm going to go get you all cleaned up, and then we can take you home. You must be tired after all that running, right? That's why you're sleeping. But don't worry! After I clean you off, I'll take you home to your family, and you can sleep as long as you like. Doesn't that sound nice?" She paused to laugh again.

"What is she…is she alright?" Iori whispered to Azusa.

Azusa smiled grimly. "Iori-chan, you've forgotten that you aren't the only girl who will grieve for Yayoi-chan. Makoto-chan was supposed to protect her." She turned to face Iori. "It's obvious she blames herself for Yayoi-chan's death. She may be grieving harder than any of us."

Iori listened sadly, allowing her anger towards Makoto to melt away. She listened as Makoto's maniacal laughter turned to loud sobs, and she collapsed in the middle of the arena, crying loudly over Yayoi's body.

Iori's eyes softened and she leaned against Azusa's body. "She's really upset. So am I."

"We all are," Azusa soothed.

"No, I mean the two of us are _really_ upset. More so than the rest of you. That girl was my best friend, and she was in Makoto's care. I don't think any of you will ever understand how we feel."

The group returned to silence, except for Makoto's sobs. Yukiho moved closer to Haruka and took her hand. Takane and Hibiki huddled close together. Ami/Mami (Iori felt fairly sure it was Mami today, since she was being silent and still with grief instead of cracking some weird joke to try to make everyone smile as Ami probably would have done) reached out and grabbed Iori's hand. Iori herself just watched the crowd murmur amongst themselves, and watched the girl named Xiaoyu sniffle loudly and move against her friend Alisa sadly, and watched Makoto continue to switch between her insane laughter and loud sobbing, all the while crouched over Yayoi's body.

Iori descended the stairs behind her on the floor and re-entered the arena. She paused beside Yayoi's body, crouched down, and closed Yayoi's eyes. Makoto was almost completely still aside from her shaking. Iori closed Yayoi's mouth slightly, then motioned for Makoto to move away a bit. She obliged. Iori took Yayoi's hands and folded them over her chest, then sat back to observe her work. All-in-all, Yayoi looked a lot more peaceful now aside from the scarlet blood all over. She sat beside Makoto and placed an arm around her shoulders.

"She's sleeping," she soothed. "See? Doesn't she look peaceful?"

"I killed her," Makoto muttered. "I'm so sorry, Iori. I killed her."

"Heihachi killed her," Iori corrected. "It's OK. Well, no…it isn't OK. But it will be. I hope. Alright, let's just say for the purpose of cheering up that things will be OK."

Makoto shook her head. "I was the one who brought the tournament up in the first place. Miki and Yayoi are both dead because of me."

"They chose to sign up," Iori said firmly. "It had nothing to do with you. I forgive you, alright? Now, come on. Yukiho is waiting for you. Let's get back up there."

Slowly, Iori coaxed the grieving Makoto up the stairs, where she immediately curled up on the floor beside Yukiho and fell asleep. Iori returned to Azusa.

"I still hate her," she admitted, "but she's grieving just as much as I am. It isn't fair to let her blame herself, even if a large chunk of it was her fault."

"We had no way of knowing Yayoi-chan would ever fight Heihachi-san," Azusa pointed out. "I'm proud of you, Iori-chan. Now…I suppose we just wait?"

"Um…due to the events that have happened today, we're going to take a break," the announcer announced. "All competitors are free to return to their home for a two-hour break before returning to matches."

Ritsuko examined the idols, all of them crying at least a little (herself included). With a decisive nod, she went to Makoto and lifted the younger, sleeping girl into her arms, then turned to the others.

"We should all go home and rest," she advised. "It's been a long day. I can carry Makoto."

Iori nodded slowly. The idols started to leave, but before they got all the way out they were joined by the four girls they'd met on their first day. Lili placed a hand on Iori's shoulder.

"That girl," she began, "she was very close to you, correct?"

"She was—she still is—my best friend," Iori sad quietly.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Lili mumbled. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I hope so," Iori replied. "Well…we're heading out."

"Iori," Xiaoyu called. "Iori, I'm grieving too. All four of us are, because we had grown to love Yayoi. She was so cute, and always so energetic, and all of us hate Heihachi anyways, so now we all despise him even more, and I thought you should know that you guys aren't alone. A lot of us had grown used to Yayoi and not having her around is really going to hurt."

Iori smiled slightly. "Thank you, it means a lot to hear that she was able to impact you guys in such a way. I'm sure she'd be really happy to hear that."

"If you are ever in need of friends," Alisa started, "then…you can come find us. And we will be here to grieve with you."

"Thank you," Iori repeated.

Leo looked over at Makoto, cradled in Ritsuko's arms. "Is she gonna be OK?"

"I don't know and I honestly don't care," Iori answered.

Leo shrugged. "Hey, when she wakes up, will you tell her what we said? You may not realize it, but she needs to hear that just as much as you did."

Iori nodded slowly. "Alright, fine. We should go. Thank you all again. It's nice to have support."

The foursome waved goodbye, and Iori followed the idols out. When the now-nine idols reached their place of residence, all of them slowly drifted into sleep.

Iori knew better than anyone that this was not the last time they would lose an idol. She had nightmares of Yayoi's death the whole two hours.

**(A/N: OK, so those two points with the first two letters of the word and then the asteriks? Well, me being me, there was no way I was going to actually write out a cuss word, but, heck, Iori's best friend was dying and Makoto just let her die and then got called a boy. I'm pretty sure they would be cursing at that point. Hence, the asteriks. I'll probably do that a lot in this fic, so...yeah. **

**In other news, writing this chapter actually made me cry a little.)**


	7. The Break Hour

_ "Welcome back to the King _of Iron Fist tournament!"

The audience cheered and Ami rubbed her ankle. Mami had related to her the depressing news of Yayoi's death and Ami had deemed her sister too upset to return to the arena, so now the twin at the tournament was Ami. It was the second day of matches and so far Miki and Yayoi had been lost, but Ami knew that they wouldn't be the last ones.

She looked over at Iori, sitting silently with Azusa and Lili, then went to go join them.

"Hey, hey, Iorin!" she greeted happily. "What's going on over here?"

"Just a silent grief session," Lili answered. "You could join up with us, or you could attempt to go over there with those two." She gestured to Makoto and Leo, sitting a little ways away. Ami had heard that Makoto wouldn't allow anyone near her, not even Yukiho. Leo had just barely avoided a punch in the face when she approached the shaking girl.

"Nah, you guys are cooler," Ami concluded. "Makochin's kinda creepy when she gets all depressed-like."

"I don't understand what her problem is," Iori huffed. "That was my best friend who died! I'm the one who should be grieving like that…"

"But you've forgotten that Makoto-chan also has to deal with Miki-chan's death," Azusa reminded her. "She blames herself for both of our losses, which is just as bad as losing a best friend."

"But still—"

"I will now announce the next match!"

Iori started at the sound of the announcer's voice. She looked out into the arena.

"The first competitor…Sergei Dragunov! His opponent…Asuka Kazama!"

Ami watched the two mentioned people walk into the arena. They stared at each other for a moment before launching themselves at each other. Ami watched them, amused.

"Kick that Kazama to the dust!" Lili yelled. She scowled, then crossed her harms and sniffed loudly.

"Uh…friend of yours?" Iori asked sarcastically.

"Not even close," Lili sighed. "Although, that isn't entirely true. You see, she's my rival. You could say…I respect her in a way, but we certainly don't get along."

"Hey, hey!" Ami yelped. "Lookit! That guy just beat that lady and now she's bleeding."

Lili stood to get a better look and frowned. "So he did," she muttered. "I'll miss that annoying little mediator."

Ami shrugged and sat. "Anyway, Ami thinks…we should talk about something less depressing."

"My best friend is dead…and we're supposed to think happy thoughts." Iori raised an eyebrow. "You're serious?"

"Well, Ami thinks we can't just sit around being depressed forever!"

"Try telling that to her," Iori snapped, jerking her head towards Makoto.

"Makochin's just being a downer," Ami decided. "Ami knows just how to cheer her up!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

Iori's warning was too late. Ami had already started off towards the two boyish girls sitting quietly in a distant corner. As she approached, Leo looked up and made motions for her to turn around and leave them alone. Instead of obeying, Ami sat on the ground next to Makoto and poked her shoulder.

"Hey, Makochin! Ami just wanted to come—"

"Get away from me!" Makoto yelled, looking furiously at Ami, her eyes red with tears. "Now!"

Ami squeaked. "Ami…Ami thinks you should loosen up…"

"_Leave me alone_!"

Makoto raised her hand in a fist and Ami yelped, frantically scrambling backwards. Leo reached over and grabbed Makoto's hand to steady her.

"Whoa, calm down," she cooed. "She was just trying to help. Hey, she's having a moment, so could you come back later?"

Ami nodded slowly and fled to the safety of Iori's pity group.

"Waah, Makochin is scary when she's angry," she complained. "Iorin and Azusa-neechan and Lilicchi are way cooler."

"Lilicchi?' Lili echoed. "…what does that even mean?"

"The twins give everyone nicknames," Azusa answered. "I think it's cute."

"Yeah, yeah! It's all part of Ami and Mami's 'Make Everyone Happy and Fluffy' campaign!" Ami laughed.

"Make everyone…fluffy?" Lili repeated. She sighed. "Children are so confusing and strange…"

Yukiho suddenly approached the foursome and sat beside them.

"I was with Haruka-chan," she said. "I-I came over here because Haruka-chan said that she wanted to be alone. Has…has Makoto-chan talked to anyone yet?"

"No," Iori said immediately. "Leave her alone. We don't need her. In the end she's been completely useless. She hasn't even fought yet."

"She talked to Ami," Ami told Yukiho.

"R-really? W-what did she say?"

"She said, 'get away from me now!' and 'leave me alone'!" Ami reported, grinning.

Yukiho blinked and squeaked loudly.

"Eh? Yukipyon, what does 'eep' mean?"

Yukiho squeaked again.

"Ah, so 'eep' means 'eep'. Huh…wait a second! Ami doesn't know what 'eep' means!"

Suddenly, the crowd cheered. Ami looked out into the arena to see that a big grizzly bear had just ripped a man with a black ponytail to shreds. She shivered.

"That bear is scary," she announced.

"I think it's cute!" Hibiki squealed.

"Hibikin, you think all animals are cute…"

"I know! I wanna keep that bear!"

Ami sighed. "Whatever, you can keep it if you want but—"

"Kumakiichi!" Hibiki squealed in delight.

"…but Ami will never go to your house again if you do."

"Eh? Ami, you've never even been to my house…"

"Well, Ami never will if you adopt that bear!"

"Kumakiichi…!"

"Whatever!"

"You're close," Lili said suddenly. "The bear's name is Kuma."

"Huh?" Hibiki blinked. "What the hey, who names a bear 'bear'? That's a horrible name."

Lili shrugged.

Ami looked out to the arena and the white-haired man in the unicorn vest viciously attacking his opponent, a man with short black hair and no shirt.

"Ami thinks those guys should be friends."

"Ami, this is the King of Iron Fist Tournament," Iori huffed. "No one is friends."

"Iorin, you're so mean!" Ami complained. "We're friends, right?"

Iori was quiet. The unicorn-shirt guy prevailed over his opponent and gave the crowd a thumbs-up. He said something, but the crowd was cheering too loud for Ami to hear what.

"Not for long, Ami," Iori suddenly muttered. "Not for long."

**(A/N: This chapter—and this book—were almost completely lost to the world. **

**Guys, I would like to share a quick testimony because this just shook me to the core.**

**Me and my family were in Colonial Willamsburg. For some reason I decided to bring my thumbdrive (which has this book along with many others on it) along with me, and somewhere along the road it fell out of my pocket. Naturally, I had my family look for it.**

**You want to know what? We looked in a giant grass field in the pitch darkness with only our phones to serve as flashlights. And it was raining. There was no way we should have been able to find it. We searched for at least half an hour before I was about ready to give up.**

**I was devastated. My life's work was gone. I was on the brink of despair. And then, suddenly, my sister announced that she had found it. **

**Guys, I should not have found that thumbdrive. It was a real-life miracle. God really does exist and he's watching out for us. Really. I owe this chapter to him.**

**So for this chapter, the dedication goes to God. Thanks. :3**

**P.S.: Those of you who read MakoYukiSora will see this twice, but that's OK. Both chapters are dedicated to God. :3)**


	8. The Thirteenth Match

_ "This is match number 13,_" Ritsuko announced. "I feel bad for whoever is fighting." She adjusted her glasses and looked over to Leo and Makoto, still silently grieving, and then to Azusa, Iori, Lili, and Ami, grieving less silently. "I hope it isn't one of you guys."

"The next match will be Azusa Miura versus Wang Jinrei!"

"Seriously?!" Ritsuko sighed. "Of course this would happen. Azusa-san, be careful out there, OK?"

The older woman smiled pleasantly at her producer. "Yes, of course, Ritsuko-san. Thank you."

"Azusa-neechan!"

Azusa looked down and was bowled into by Ami, who was Ami today. She smiled. "Yes, Ami-chan?"

"Ami doesn't want you to die, so you have to win!" Ami declared.

"Of course," Azusa said pleasantly.

"Azusa?" the announcer called.

"Maa, they're waiting for me," Azusa trilled. "I'll be right back~"

"Azusa-neechan, that's a little cocky…"

Azusa giggled and patted her head, then went and gave Iori and Ritsuko a hug before going downstairs to the arena. She waved to Wang, a small old man with white hair and a beard. He tugged on his hat.

"You're hot," he said.

"Thank you," Azusa piped.

"It's a shame," Wang sighed. "I don't want to kill anyone…"

"Me neither," Azusa agreed.

"Unfortunately, I do not want to die either," Wang told her. "So~, I'll have to kill you."

Azusa blinked. "Please don't…"

Wang gave her no time to respond. Before the words were even out of her mouth, Azusa had been knocked against the wall. She let out a cry. Wang kicked her in the face. She stumbled and whimpered slightly.

"Azusa-san, do something!" Ritsuko cried. _Dang it…this isn't good._

Makoto suddenly darted up to the glass. "Did you say…Azusa-san?!"

"Yeah, she's fighting!"

"No…!"

Wang attacked Azusa over and over, slamming his fist into her stomach, her face, or her neck. Azusa cried out in pain and fell to her knees.

"I hate this," Wang decided. "Are you alright?"

"No," Azusa answered. She smiled slightly. "But, I don't know how to fight, and you do, and I understand that I must die. Just please, Wang-san…" Azusa stood slowly and slid her hand on her cheek again, smiling wider. "Please make me die quickly."

Wang's eyes softened. "You want to die?"

"No," Azusa admitted, "but I must, so it's OK~."

"Azusa-san, no!" the whole group of idols screamed.

Azusa looked at them. "Wang-san, may I have some profound last words, please?"

Wang dipped his head and stepped away from her.

"Let's see…Ami-chan! You have always been so cute, and such a sense of humor you have! You can always put a smile on my face. Thank you. I love you."

Ami gave her a thumbs-up.

"Haruka-chan, you too have always been there with a smile and a pep-talk whenever I got upset," Azusa continued. "Thank you, and I love you!"

Haruka smiled past the tears in her eyes.

"Hibiki-chan~!" Azusa called.

"Present!" Hibiki responded.

"You're such a cute and funny girl. You have a determination and a fire in your eyes that has inspired me so much. You have no idea how happy I am that you're joined our team. Stay strong, Hibiki-chan. They need you to. Thank you, and I love you too."

Hibiki sniffled and grinned. "Yeah…course I will! Count on me, no problemo!" She tried not to let Azusa see her crying.

Azusa looked at Iori. "…Iori-chan."

Iori sniffled. "Y-yes…?"

"Iori-chan, it's OK to cry," Azusa said softly. "You don't have to be the strongest. You've always been there for me to help with my direction, or with anything else, and you've always been looking out for me. Thank you so much. I love you, Iori-chan."

"You love everyone!" Iori exclaimed, smiling slightly. She blushed. "It's…it's a stupid way to think!"

Azusa smiled. "And…Makoto-chan."

"No…" Makoto whispered.

"Makoto-chan, I wanted to thank you—"

"Thank me for what?!" Makoto snapped. "For letting Yayoi die? For bringing up this tournament in the first place? For leading Miki to her death? For leading _you_ to your death?! D*mmit, Azusa-san, what the heck is there to thank me for?!" She wiped her eyes, trying to make her words come across as furious instead of regretful. Ritsuko looked at her sympathetically.

_Poor kid…heck, poor all of us. Why dos she really think she's suffering the most?_

Azusa never stopped smiling. "Thank you for _trying_."

Makoto gazed at her. "Wha…?"

"Thank you for always trying to do what was best for me. For always protecting me, Makoto-chan. For protecting all of us. Because we all know you've always been there to help us when we needed you. Even if two of our idols still died, at least you tried your very best, and, Makoto-chan, never forget that that's all anyone can ever ask of you," Azusa finished. "I love you. Makoto-chan. We all do. So please, stop grieving, and don't feel sad when I'm gone. It's not your fault."

Ritsuko looked back at Makoto. A smile broke across her face for the first time in too long. She wiped her eyes again. Ritsuko grinned.

_Classic Azusa-san, _she thought. _She always knows just what to say._

Azusa nodded and looked over at Ritsuko. "And of course, my lovely producer Ritsuko-san," she sighed. "I may miss you most of all~. Ritsuko-san, you've always been so kind to me and so caring, and you've been such a good friend to me. I don't know where I would be without you…but it would probably be somewhere in Europe~."

Ritsuko chuckled. Yes, that was classic Azusa too. She smiled.

"Thank you for always taking care of me. For taking care of all of us," Azusa said gratefully. "I love you very much, Ritsuko-san. And now, Takane-chan!"

At this point, even Wang was starting to get tears in his eyes. All of the idols were crying, even Ritsuko herself. All of them knew that these were Azusa's last words to them, individually, from her heart. In fact, Takane had taken out a notepad and written them all down.

"Takane-chan, I've always admired you," Azusa admitted. "You're such a beautiful woman, inside and out, and don't ever forget that. You take everything so calmly. It's an amazing trait, and I wish I could be as regal as you. Stay lovely, Takane-chan. Thank you, and I love you."

Yukiho stepped forward expectantly to receive her last words from Azusa. Azusa waved pleasantly to her.

Yukiho waved back, then collapsed into sobs. Haruka rubbed her back softly.

"Yukiho-chan," Azusa called to her. "Yukiho-chan, you are a beautiful girl. You've always had such a servant's heart, and you're always so kind to me. I cannot thank you enough for the countless times you've been there to make me tea, or bring me a horoscope, or even just sit with me and talk. I appreciate your friendship so very much! I love you, Yukiho-chan, and thank you."

Now Azusa turned to Wang. "I'm ready."

Wang smiled slightly. "Such profound words. You have me crying a bit…"

"Oh my, I'm sorry…"

"No, I'm sorry," Wang corrected. He directed Azusa to stand next to the wall. "I promise I will make it quick."

Azusa dipped her head. "Thank you." She looked at the idols, closed her eyes and smiled, and waved. "Goodbye, girls."

Slowly, Wang stretched his hand to the side of her face and slammed her head against the wall, smashing her skull. She screamed and her smile faltered, but she revived it and got on her knees. Wang slammed her head into the wall again, and again, and a third time, and then he stepped back. Azusa's body slumped forwards. Wang turned her onto her back. Her eyes were still closed and she was still smiling. Wang muttered something and leaned down to give her a kiss on her bloody cheek, then he stood, dipped his head, and walked out of the arena.

The announcer waited for a few moments before announcing that Wang had won. The audience cheered and the idols fell completely silent.

Ritsuko examined them. They were all smiling, even though they were all crying. Azusa had that effect. Even when she was dying, she was still able to make everyone smile. Ritsuko's own smile grew bigger.

"Well, that's all there is to it, huh?" she sighed. "You guys…I know you're going to miss her. We all will. But don't you ever forget what she said, OK? She loved us all very much, and I just know that wherever she is right now, she's really happy."

The idols nodded slowly.

Takane held up her notebook. "I wrote down her last words," she told them. "Come see me if you wish to re-read them."

Ritsuko sighed again and looked out at the arena. "And now…I guess we just…wait."

"Can…we have a group hug?" Yukiho asked. The others smiled and surrounded her, giving each other a huge group hug. There was a period of silence and stillness when they finished until Haruka stuck out her hand.

Ami put her hand on Haruka's. Hibiki followed soon after, then Ritsuko, then Iori, and then Makoto. Eventually, all remaining idols had their hands in the middle of a large circle. Haruka grinned.

"Alright, everyone! Let's do that thing, then!" she exclaimed. "765 Pro…"

"FIGHT-O!"


	9. The Miracle Match

_The Miracle Match_

"Miki, Yayoi, and Azusa-san are all dead," Iori announced. "This…sucks."

"Yeah, it does," Makoto muttered, tossing a piece of glass up and down. The sharp edge landed on her palm and lodged itself deep in her skin. She winced, pulled it out with the other hand, and continued tossing it.

"Why are you doing that?"

"Hm?"

"You're hurting yourself with that glass."

"Why do YOU care?"

"Because…I-I hate the sight of blood, OK?"

"Whatever…"

Ritsuko chuckled. "Come on, Makoto. Stop punishing yourself already."

"So that's it," Iori sighed. She watched as the piece of glass landed in Makoto's wrist this time. She blinked at it, pulled it out of her skin, and resumed her tossing. "Seriously, stop that. It's creepy and emo-ish."

Makoto ignored her.

"Azusa-san said herself that it wasn't your fault, OK?! Now cut it out!"

"The next match will be Hwoarang…"

Makoto and Iori whirled towards the announcer.

"…versus Yukiho Hagiwara!"

Makoto dropped the glass—and her mouth. She turned slowly to Yukiho, who had on the same expression. She took a deep breath, then another, then gave up ad started crying. Hwoarang, a red-headed teenager wearing a vest and a pair of tan pants, wandered out into the arena, looking around for his opponent. He was frowning, but Iori saw the cockiness in his eyes. She looked over at Yukiho, who looked terrified.

Makoto approached her. "Yukiho."

"Don't you dare make me any promises!" Yukiho cried.

Makoto froze. "Yukiho…"

"The last time you made a promise, Yayoi-chan died! She trusted you and she let her guard down, and…sh-she died!" Yukiho sobbed. "So please! J-just let me die! I can't let you blame yourself when I do!"

Makoto stared at her. So that was the reason. Yukiho set her face in a frown and nodded slowly.

"Swing around my shovel," she began slowly, "until…u-until I hear a crack. Right?"

Makoto smiled. "Right," she approved. "Just calm down. You'll be fine."

Yukiho nodded and wrapped her arms around Makoto's neck, moving her head against her chest. Makoto held her back gently.

"I'm scared," Yukiho whispered.

"Me too," Makoto admitted.

"But so was everyone else," Yukiho murmured. "Makoto-chan, I have to get out of this alive. …For you."

Makoto smiled. "Thank you."

"So, I'm going to go down there now, and I'm going to fight, and hopefully, I-I'll live. And if I don't…you have to make me a promise."

"You told me not to make any promises."

"I-I lied!"

Makoto giggled. "Right, anything for you, Yukiho."

"Then, promise me that if I die, you won't blame yourself. You'll remember that this was my choice, and that I knew that th-there was a very large chance I wouldn't survive, and that…I love you very much. O-OK?"

"Of course."

Yukiho pulled away from the hug and smiled, wiping the tears from her eyes. She went to retrieve her shovel and then headed into the arena, waving until the last second.

Hwoarang looked at her. "Hey."

"H-hello."

"Is this your first year? Don't remember seeing you last year. I think I'd recognize such a pretty face," Hwoarang commented casually. He smirked slightly.

Yukiho squeaked and gripped her shovel.

Hwoarang looked at it. "Is that…a shovel?"

Yukiho nodded.

"…you fight with a _shovel_?"

Yukiho nodded again.

"…and you actually think…you can win. Against me. Using…a shovel."

Yukiho squeaked.

Hwoarang laughed. "I can't tell if that's cute, unusual, or just plain stupid," he sighed. "Well, it's not my problem. I have to win here. My mentor'll be mad if I can't even beat a little girl with a _shovel._" He chuckled and shook his head. "Man, that's funny…"

Yukiho frowned and gripped the shovel tighter. "I-I too," she choked out. "I-I too must win…! So that my best friend…my Makoto-chan! So that my Makoto-chan can finally smile again!"

Makoto watched her. "Yukiho…"

Hwoarang shrugged. "Yeah, well, it's your will to win versus mine, babe. And I'm not about to die here."

"Death is scary!" Yukiho announced. "I-I'm not going to die either…! And you're a man! That's even scarier!"

"Men…are scary."

"Y-yes!"

"…and, you fight with a shovel."

"…yes."

"...yeah, I've just decided that's amazingly cute, yet extremely stupid at the same time. Can I just get this over with and get back to my bike?"

"You have a bicycle?"

"_Motor_cycle. Not bicycle. Now stand still so I can kill you easier," Hwoarang ordered. He clenched his fists and ran at her. Yukiho screamed and ran away, then began digging a hole in the middle of the arena.

"What is she doing?" Makoto hissed. "Yukiho! Don't get in a hole! You'll trap yourself!"

By some miracle, Yukiho managed to hear her and ran out of the way of the half-started hole with her shovel, just as Hwoarang approached her. He ended up half-tripping on the dirt and landing on the ground. He cursed under his breath and stood up. Yukiho face him, trembling but looking awfully calm for a girl who fought with only a shovel. Hwoarang walked towards her, chuckling at the sight.

"You don't wanna die, huh?" he asked her.

"Of course not," Yukiho answered, forcing herself to stop trembling. She took a deep breath and gripped her shovel harder, recalling her instructions.

_Swing it around until you hear a crack._

_ Just swing it around, Yukiho._

_ Swing it until you hear a crack. That would mean I won, right? Right. I-I can do this...!_

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, opening them just in time to squeeze them shut in fear upon noticing that Hwoarang was only a couple feet away from her. She screamed and swung the shovel with all her strength at what she hoped was his head.

There was a sick sloshing sound. A splatter of something wet flew out and hit Yukiho's face. She kept her eyes closed, afraid to see what she had done. There was a thump, the crowd gasped, and then deafening cheering broke out. Yukiho turned around very slowly, opened her eyes, and walked out of the arena. Tears spilled from her eyes. Somehow, by some miracle, Yukiho had won her match.

It took a moment for that to sink in. The second it did, a huge smile broke across Yukiho's face and she ran up to the waiting area, tears of joy pouring from her eyes. She was greeted by Haruka, then Hibiki, Takane, and Ami joined her in a group hug. To her surprise, Makoto didn't go to greet her. When she was done hugging everyone and had laid her bloody, metal shovel on the ground, she ran to her best friend and tugged on her sleeve.

"Makoto-chan! Makoto-chan, did you see that? I won! I really did it, Makoto-chan!"

Makoto nodded slowly. "Who knew…you could do such a thing…"

"Win? Yes, I-I was really surprised…" Yukiho blinked. Makoto didn't move. "W-what's wrong?"

Makoto pointed out at the arena. "I'm just…startled," she responded.

Yukiho looked where she was pointing, observing her opponent's corpse for the first time.

It was headless.

Yukiho screamed. "W-w-what the…?!"

Makoto smiled slightly. "You swung the shovel, alright. But unfortunately for him, you swung the edge of it at his neck so hard that it sliced his head clean off. It was a startling move. None of us thought you could be so brutal."

"I-I just wanted to kill him!" Yukiho whined. "Not…decapitate him!"

"You _did _kill him," Makoto corrected her. "Just…not in the way you were planning. I'm really happy for you, though. Really!"

Yukiho smiled and took her hand, leaning gratefully against her shoulder. "I-I'm tired."

Makoto smiled warmly and slid her arm out of Yukiho's hand and around her shoulders. "You did amazing," she praised. "I'm so proud of you, Yukiho."

"Thank you," Yukiho breathed. "I love you, Makoto-chan. Please smile from now on."

"Of course, Yukiho. I love you too."

"As sweet as this is, girls," Ritsuko interrupted, "we should start preparing ourselves for the next match."

Makoto and Yukiho nodded. A blanket of peace settled around the girls for the first time in a while. If even Yukiho could beat her match, then obviously the others would be fine. Smiles lit everyone's faces, even Makoto's. The foursome of girls they'd met on their first day approached, and Alisa and Xiaoyu instantly stole Yukiho away from Makoto and trapped her in a hug.

"Yukiho! You were great out there!"

"Yes, it's sad that Hwoarang is gone but I'm very happy for your victory."

"Th-thank you," Yukiho stuttered, giving the girls a hug back. "I didn't know I could fight…"

"Neither did we," Lili said. "Well, if a weakling like her could accomplish such a thing, then fighters like us should have no problem! The competition this year is fierce, but somehow…somehow it seems very relaxed. As though…some of the fighters are going easy on their opponents. I don't understand."

"…THAT MAN CALLED ME 'BABE' ONCE!" Yukiho suddenly screeched. "O-oh my gosh…"

"Are you OK?!" Xiaoyu gasped, grasping Yukiho by the shoulders.

"I'm…I-I killed a man…and that man called me 'babe'…and he was a man…and…oh my gosh…I killed him…" Yukiho proceeded to pass out into Alisa's arms. Alisa looked awkwardly at Xiaoyu, who led her to a chair, where she placed Yukiho. The two girls fanned her while Lili chuckled at the scene.

"She'll be alright, I presume?" She looked over at Makoto, who laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, she'll be fine," Makoto promised. "She does that a lot."

"You laughed," Leo pointed out.

"Hm?" Makoto looked at her. "Oh…yeah, I guess I did. Ehehe…"

"It's nice to hear you laugh," Leo told her. "I don't think I've ever heard you laugh."

"Really? That's weird. Well, I'm feeling better for some reason," Makoto admitted. She looked over at Yukiho. "She always has that affect on me."

"Do you…like her or something?"

"Yeah."

Leo blinked.

Makoto blushed. "O-oh, no…! N-not like that kind of like, we're just best friends, really!" she insisted quickly. "S-stop looking at me like that! I'm not a lesbian, OK?!"

"Alright…" Leo nodded slowly.

"I'm serious!"

"Right…"

"Stooop iiit~!"

Leo laughed. "You're fun to tease~"

"You're a jerk!"

Leo laughed again. Makoto glared at her for a moment before joining in. The other idols smiled and waited for the next match, confident.

No matter what faced them, they would be ready.


	10. The Twenty-third Match

_The Twenty-third Match_

_ "Mami just wanted you all _to know that Mami is Mami today," Mami announced. "Mami thought you might want to know."

"Cool," Iori muttered, watching the blonde ponytail woman step behind a tall Spanish man and snap his neck. The woman shot him a couple of times to ensure his death and then stepped back, allowing the man's lifeless body to fall to the ground.

"The winner is Nina Williams!" the announcer called. "I never get tired of watching her fight. It's incredible, truly incredible. OK! I will now announce the next match!"

Mami chuckled. "That guy died," she muttered.

"So did Miki. And Yayoi-chan. And Azusa-san," Iori snapped.

Mami nodded slowly. "Yeah, that stinks."

"The first competitor will be Ami Futami!"

Mami blinked and remembered that she and Ami were competing under Ami's name. She waved to the others and bounded down the stairs.

"She will be fighting Haruka Amami!"

_Harurun? …well, then Mami will fake kill her,_ Mami decided.

Haruka obviously knew this, since she came running into the arena without a care in the world. "Hi, Ma—Ami-chan!" she cheered. "So…" She stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Do you know how you're going to kill me?"

Mami looked over at the jagged rock by the edge of the arena. "Yeah. Mami is gonna…stab you with that rock. It's gonna look like she stabbed you in the heart," she answered, also whispering.

Haruka nodded. "And I just have to pretend to die."

"Mami will have the paramedics care for you, Harurun."

"Thank you!"

Mami suddenly slapped her hands onto Haruka's head and threw her to the ground. Haruka squeaked and fell to the side. Mami kicked her side. Haruka screeched and rolled over, clutching her side. Grinning, Mami bent down and grabbed her neck, lifting her off the ground slightly. Haruka looked at her and coughed.

"Listen here, you," Mami hissed, "it was a wise decision to choose Mami as the winner of this match. You're a weakling, Harurun! A bon appetit weakling!"

"You mean bona fide," Haruka told her. She coughed again.

Angrily, Mami tossed her back onto the ground. Haruka took a moment to recover and then stood. "You think you can afford to play smart with Mami, weakling?" Mami lashed. She ran over to the jagged rock and pulled it out of the ground. "Mami is going to kill you, Harurun! She's going to kill you!"

Haruka whimpered and took a step back, but Mami ignored her. She charged at the ribbon-wearing girl with a cry and shoved the sharp point of the rock into Haruka's chest. Haruka screamed.

Mami smirked. "That's right, Harurun," she muttered. "Suffer." She twisted the rock in her chest. Haruka cried out in agony, squeezing her eyes shut. She opened them for a split second and offered Mami a wink, which Mami returned. Then she closed her eyes again and slowly sank to the ground.

Mami lowered her into the dirt and pulled the rock out of her chest. "That's what you get for messing with Mami, weakling," she snapped. She stood and re-inserted the rock into its proper place, then walked out of the arena. Haruka coughed once and then fell still. If Mami looked close enough, she saw that Haruka was taking in small breaths through her nose. Mami smiled and nodded. She paused by the group of paramedics waiting by the entrance to the arena.

"Take care of her," she ordered. "Mami thinks she's suffered enough. We may as well make her body comfortable while her soul burns away in hell."

The paramedics looked at her confusedly, then shrugged and went to go get Haruka's "corpse". Mami went up to the waiting area.

"She's not dead, is she?" Xiaoyu asked.

Mami shook her head. "Mami stabbed her a liiiittle off to the side of her heart, so she missed the important stuff. Harurun's just bruised," she promised.

"And impaled," Makoto added.

"Not 'impaled'…more like 'been stabbed'." Mami shrugged. "Anyhow, she's fine."

"Good," Xiaoyu sighed. "I'm glad. She's a good friend."

"Yeah, she is," Mami agreed.

The idols nodded to show agreement. "We got lucky," Makoto said quietly.

Iori nodded slowly. "At the rate we're going, the next match won't end well," she muttered. "Stay on your toes."

"The next match will be Nina Williams against Hibiki Ganaha!"

Hibiki flinched. "That assassin lady?" she questioned.

Iori cringed. "Yeah. Good luck."

Hibiki took a deep breath. "Don't ya worry, guys. I'm prepared for this," she promised, grinning. "So just cheer for me is all, 'kay?"

Makoto ran over and gave her a quick hug. She was immediately followed by Takane.

"You be careful out there, Hibiki," Makoto ordered. "OK? Please."

Hibiki laughed. "I'll be fine. An' if I ain't, ya take care o' Takane, for me, alright?"

Makoto nodded.

Takane placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hibiki, I will be cheering for you, so do not lose heart," she said. "You will do great."

"I know," Hibiki agreed. "It'll be no problemo, guys. You'll see!"

The girls watched as the tan Okinawan girl hustled down the stairs and into the arena to meet Nina. A fear rose in their hearts as the watched Nina crack her knuckles and reload her guns.

If Hibiki made it out of this at all, she would not make it out unscathed.


	11. The Twenty-fourth Match

_The Twenty-fourth Match_

_ Hibiki strolled confidently into _the arena and faced Nina, grinning. "Yo!"

Nina narrowed her eyes. "You seem confident, for a girl who's about to die," she commented.

Hibiki shook her head. "Nah, I know I'll probably die," she admitted. "But…y'know what? That's alright with me. 'Cause, in the end, I'm gonna give it my all and if I lose, then at least I know my friends were cheerin' for me." She slid her foot back and lifted her arms to her face in a fighting pose. "So c'mon, Nina! Let's give these guys a nice show!"

Nina chuckled. "I will admit, your spirit is impressive," she muttered. "But you won't get out of this alive. Tell you what—I'll make your death particularly painful, so that all your friends will know not to mess with me."

Hibiki chuckled back. "'Kay then. Do your worst."

Nina ran at her, a gun in one hand and the other closed in a fist. Hibiki waited until she was only a foot away, then she ducked and rolled out of the way, jumping to her feet in time to throw a kick at Nina. She managed to strike the assassin in the back and she stumbled, but Nina quickly whirled around and grabbed Hibiki's foot from the air. She slammed her forearm into Hibiki's ankle and a loud crack sounded. Hibiki let out a cry of pain and wrenched her foot free. She ran backwards to get farther away, keeping her eyes fixed on Nina. Nina nodded slightly.

"Not bad, but that's not even close to the most I can do," she called. "Your friend, right? Iori? She killed my sister. Is she a good friend?"

"I guess," Hibiki answered. "Not as good as some o' the others, but I guess."

"Killing my sister was supposed to be my job," Nina explained. "But I suppose I should be a little grateful. The brat is out of the way, but I would have liked to kill her myself. In any case, I think making you suffer should punish Iori enough, do you?"

"Nah," Hibiki insisted casually. "Iori never really cared much for me anyhow."

"What is she saying?" Iori, who was up in the waiting room, hissed. "I mean…I won't care too much but of course I'd be upset if she suffered!"

"She's being smart," Makoto snapped. "Leave her alone. By telling Nina that you don't care about her, she's making it seem like it wouldn't matter if she suffered. All-in-all, Nina only wants her to suffer because she thinks it'll leave a mark on you."

Iori nodded slowly and focused on the match again, where Nina was throwing punch after punch after kick at Hibiki, who successfully dodged every one.

"Hold still!" Nina lashed, sweeping her leg at Hibiki's ankles. Her damaged leg was hit and the Okinawan idol fell to her knees. Nina took out her gun and shot at her a couple times. The first shots missed; Hibiki was able to move to the side slightly and avoid them. But then Nina shot again and Hibiki was struck in the shoulder and the left side of her chest. She screamed and dropped to the ground, rolling away again. When she was far enough, she stood and ran (or rather, stumbled) to the wall of the arena. She waited.

Nina ran at her, the gun now returned to the holster and both hands open as though she would grab Hibiki's neck. Hibiki took a deep breath. When Nina had gotten close, she jumped into the air and pushed off the wall with her uninjured foot, ultimately flying over Nina's head, but not without sending her injured foot flying into the assassin's face. Nina growled and stepped backwards to regain her balance. Hibiki landed on her uninjured foot and paused to send an elbow into Nina's back before sprinting away towards the other side of the arena.

Takane smiled. "She's doing amazingly well, don't you think?" she murmured.

Makoto nodded proudly. "That's our Hibiki; dodging for her life and using speed as an advantage. Guys, I actually think she might have a chance at winning this! Maybe if she can get her hands on one of Nina's guns…"

Takane nodded back. "Let us hope…"

In the arena, Nina had both guns out of her holsters, while Hibiki was leaning against the wall, panting and exhausted. She held her left shoulder with her right hand, trying to stop the blood. After a moment, she moved it to her chest. She made a pained noise and slid down the wall to the ground. Nina approached her and glared down at her.

"Give up yet?" she asked menacingly. She held the guns out towards Hibiki.

Hibiki narrowed her eyes. "Not yet." She snapped her left foot up at Nina's hand. Instinctually, Nina dropped the gun and grabbed her foot. Hibiki instantly snatched the gun from the ground and pointed it at Nina, who looked at her indifferently. "If ya shoot me, I'll shoot ya back!" Hibiki cried. Her hands shook and a couple tears slid down her face, but her mouth was frowning and her eyes narrowed. If one ignored her shaking, Hibiki appeared quite confident.

Nina smirked slightly. "Is that so," she said quietly. "Then I guess it all comes down to who has the most stamina." She pulled the trigger. Hibiki was shot in the middle of the chest. She winced, but pulled the trigger on her own gun. Nina blocked it but was struck in the arm. She flinched.

Hibiki smiled a bit. "See that?" she whispered. She pulled the trigger. Nina let go of her leg and blocked it. Hibiki kicked her in the side and pulled the trigger two more times. Nina actually uttered a pained noise as the bullets smacked into her ribcage, right below her breast. She glared at Hibiki, who rolled out of the way and stood up. Nina shot her in the side and she shot Nina in the shoulder. Nina winced and Hibiki screamed.

The audience was on the edge of their seats. As far as they could tell, the two were evenly matched. But Hibiki and Nina both knew that the former had taken too much damage. The only thing that kept her standing was sheer willpower.

_I have to get to 'er heart, _Hibiki realized. _I have to…shoot 'er heart! _She raised the gun and squinted, aiming straight for Nina's heart. Her finger shook on the trigger, but she forced herself to stay still. "I'm not lettin' 'em down, Nina Williams!" she shouted. Nina opened her mouth to speak.

Suddenly, Hibiki raised the gun and shot a bullet into Nina's mouth. Nina's eyes widened slightly and she moved to escape, but the bullet slammed into the edge of her lip. She cried out in shock and agony and stumbled. Hibiki, surprised at the sudden move she'd made, only watched as the woman staggered and fell to her knees. She glared up at Hibiki and whipped a knife from a pouch on her hip.

"Just die already!" she yelled, throwing the knife at Hibiki's head. Hibiki fell onto her knees and managed to avoid the knife, but Nina grabbed another one and flung it at her with greater speed and accuracy. It lodged itself in Hibiki's head, but not before Hibiki reverted to her old plan and shot a bullet into Nina's heart. Both fighters screamed and collapsed to the side. The audience gasped.

Blood spilled from the various wounds the two had received. Shakily, slowly, the fighters rose to their feet, only to collapse again from the pain. A team of paramedics ran into the room and lifted each of them onto their own stretcher, then wheeled them away.

The announcer leaned towards his microphone. "The match…was a draw! Everyone, please stand by. We will later announce whether or not Hibiki and Nina survived the match. Thank you."

Takane watched them wheel Hibiki away, mouth slightly agape. She looked over at Iori and Makoto, who frowned. Makoto looked at Takane.

"We have to go visit her. Where do they keep the injured?"


	12. The Visiting Hour

_The Visiting Hour_

Takane slowly approached Hibiki's bedside and sat next to her on a chair. The tan girl was breathing shakily and her monitor was "beeping" slowly. She looked over at Takane and smiled.

"H-hey, Takane," she greeted quietly.

"Hibiki, you were absolutely incredible," Takane breathed. She reached over and clutched Hibiki's hand gently. Hibiki squeezed back for a second and then let her hand relax.

"Ya think so?" she asked, her voice breaking. She coughed.

Takane nodded and paused to examine her. Her chest, shoulder, and head had been bandaged up, and the blood cleaned from her body. The crimson liquid spilled out of her mouth and Takane reached over to wipe it off. Hibiki offered her a grateful smile, but said nothing. The monitor was hooked up to her heart, and she wore a mask over her mouth to aid with her breathing. Takane frowned.

"Somethin' wrong?"

Takane snapped to attention. Hibiki was looking at her worriedly, taking in gulps of air through her mouth. The silver-haired idol shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing is the matter. I was just noticing that you look a little different," she insisted.

Hibiki chuckled, then started coughing.

"Hibiki!" Takane gasped. Hibiki sat up and pulled the mask off to cough some more, droplets of blood flying from her mouth. Takane stood and held her up until she stopped. Hibiki pulled the mask back on her face with Takane's help, and then the older girl lay her back down. She placed a hand on her heart and sat.

"I'm OK," Hibiki assured her. "Jus' a li'l coughin' fit. I'm fine."

Takane frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yup."

She allowed herself to smile at Hibiki, who smiled back.

"Anyone else comin'?" she questioned Takane.

"Makoto came," Takane replied. "But she had to go to the bathroom. She'll be here shortly."

Hibiki grinned. "That all?"

Takane nodded sadly.

"Good. Now I can spend my last hours with two o' the people I love the most. Too bad I couldn't get Hamuzou and Inumi here too…heck, all the li'l critters!" Hibiki closed her eyes and chuckled. Luckily, this time she didn't cough. Takane let out a breath of relief.

"I am sorry. I should have gone to retrieve them," she said apologetically.

Hibiki shook her head. "Don't worry 'bout it, it's no problemo. I knew they wouldn't be able to come anyhow…"

The door to Hibiki's room flew open and Makoto ran inside, going instantly to Hibiki's other side to grasp her other hand. "Hibiki! Are you alright?! Did they say you were going to be OK?!"

Hibiki looked at her sadly and then turned to Takane. She looked at the monitor.

Makoto followed her gaze. "That doesn't mean a thing, Hibiki. I know you're strong. You'll be fine. Right?"

Hibiki sighed. "I dunno," she admitted. "The doctors haven't said anythin' 'bout it."

"You'll be fine," Makoto promised. "If you were able to stand out there, you can stand in here. You were awesome. I was really impressed and a little surprised."

"Me too," Hibiki murmured. "I thought she was an assassin, right? So why did it seem like she was goin' easy on me?"

"Maybe she felt sorry for you," Takane suggested.

"Takane, assassins don't feel sorry for nobody…"

Makoto giggled. "You seem to be in good spirits, at least."

"Yeah, an' y'all are makin' it hard with all your talk of death an' such!" Hibiki whined.

"Sorry," Makoto laughed. She gripped Hibiki's hand a little harder and Hibiki squeaked. She loosened her grip and settled for simply caressing Hibiki's hand with her thumb. Takane stared at her friend's broken and injured body and allowed a single tear to slide down her cheek.

_Hibiki will likely not survive, _she told herself. _If that is indeed the case, I must speak to her as though she may die…but, if I do, she will no doubt be angry…_ She took a deep breath and smiled warmly at Hibiki. "Hibiki, have I ever told you what an amazing friend you are?"

Hibiki looked over at her and smiled. "I'm sure ya have," she answered.

"You have always been there for me when I needed you. I must say I admire your courage and your sense of humor. Thank you," Takane told her. She smiled.

Hibiki frowned. "Stop," she begged. "Please, Takane. Stop talkin' to me like I'm gonna die. I don't like it, y'all. I'm scared! I'm really, really scared!"

Takane and Makoto exchanged a glance and looked back down to Hibiki, shaking and crying. She looked over at Takane, and then turned over to Makoto.

"Guys…guys, what do I do?" she whispered.

Makoto clutched her hand with both of hers. "You'll be OK, Hibiki. You're not going to die. And if you do, you don't need to worry about a thing. Takane and I will be right here with you when you pass into the next life. And then, you'll be able to say hi to Miki for us. Miki, and Yayoi, and Azusa-san. And don't you ever forget, Hibiki, that we won't ever forget you. OK? You left a huge mark on us and we all love you so much."

Hibiki smiled. "Makoto…"

"Did you hear me, Hibiki?!"

Hibiki blinked. "Yeah…are ya OK?"

Makoto stared down at her, the tears falling from her eyes, her face contorted with pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head violently. "I'm not OK, Hibiki, alright?! None of us are OK! We never should have come here, and I realize that now, but…Hibiki, I don't want you to leave me! Please!"

Hibiki frowned. "Makoto, I'm sorry…"

Makoto shook her head again and wiped her eyes. "It isn't your fault," she murmured. "But I just don't know what to do…when we came to this tournament, I promised myself that I wouldn't let any of you die, but then…then we lost Miki, Yayoi, and Azusa-san, and now you're dying, and I keep trying to tell myself that everything is going to be fine, that no one else is going to die here, and that it wasn't all useless, but the fact is that you're dying, Hibiki!"

Hibiki winced. "I know," she admitted.

"I know that you're scared, Hibiki," Makoto began, "but I have to say, I might be the most scared out of anyone here, because I was supposed to protect you and one by one I'm watching all my friends _die!_" She burst into sobs, falling to her knees. Her head dropped onto Hibiki's bed and she gripped the fallen girl's hand, shaking. Hibiki rubbed her hand with her thumb and smiled slightly.

"You're really takin' this hard, huh?" she cooed. "It's OK, Makoto. If…no, when…when I die, I'll—"

"Don't you _dare _talk that way!" Makoto demanded.

"Ya know I can't survive this!" Hibiki cried. She started coughing again and Takane instantly sat her up and pulled off the mask. Hibiki coughed for a couple minutes before yanking the mask over her mouth and gulping in big breaths of air. Takane lay her back down and took her other hand again.

"Why are ya takin' this so hard?" Hibiki gasped. "I don't understand it! Why the heck are ya sufferin' more than Takane, or Iori? Iori lost her _best friend_ and she's not even grieving as much as you! Heck, Azusa-san was her group member, too! She has way more of a right to be sobbin' into a bed than ya—"

"Because all of this is MY FAULT, Hibiki!"

Hibiki fell silent, staring at her friend. Makoto looked genuinely angry now, her eyes full of regret and fury. The Prince of 765 Productions clutched Hibiki's hand like a lifeline, her whole body still shaking violently. Hibiki wished she could just embrace her, but the injuries to her body and the Takane on her other hand prevented her from doing so. Makoto's eyes narrowed.

"Don't you get it, Hibiki?! NONE of this would have happened if it weren't for ME! Because I brought up the tournament in the first place, three people—no, four! FOUR people are dead or dying! And there isn't anything I can do about it! And I promise you, Hibiki, you are not going to be the last one to die, OK?! Do you even understand how hard this is on me?!"

"No," Hibiki said quietly. She glanced at the monitor, at the constantly-slowing jagged lines showing her heartbeat. She listened to the machine "beep" in the background of Makoto's loud sobs. The livid girl let out a loud wail and rested her forehead on Hibiki's hand.

"Makoto…"

"Don't leave me, Hibiki! Please!" Makoto pleaded. "Please!"

"I don't have a choice," Hibiki breathed. "Makoto, it hurts…"

Takane, who had been sitting in silence, suddenly stood. "We should go," she muttered, placing her hand on Makoto's shoulder. Makoto slapped it away and clutched Hibiki's hand again. Takane frowned. "She is dying. Admit it. Do you really want to sit here and watch her die? Is that not a painful thing to do?"

"You wouldn't understand," Makoto sniffed. "None of you will _ever _understand how I feel."

Takane nodded. "I know this. But, as for me, to watch a girl so is so very dear to me slip out of this world…Hibiki, I am not strong enough for such a thing." Slowly, the older woman leaned down and gave Hibiki a kiss on the forehead, then she straightened up and lifted her chin. "So, for the purpose of retaining what dignity and sanity I possess, I have to leave you. I am so sorry, Hibiki…"

Hibiki smiled at her past the salty tears rolling down her face. "Don't worry, Takane. I understand. Please…take care o' the others for me, OK? An' I'll say 'hi' to Miki. I love ya, Takane."

"I…love you too, Hibiki."

"Heck, I love all o' ya," Hibiki admitted. She glanced at Makoto, who hadn't moved since her last outburst. "Please don't cry over me. I died happy, 'kay?"

"No." Makoto sniffled. "It's not OK."

"I'm sorry."

"I'M sorry, Hibiki. I shouldn't have let you get involved in this."

"Would ya stop it?! We chose this, 'kay? An' if we die…well, that was part of our choice too." Hibiki coughed. "Ow…I can't keep talkin' like this. I guess that last thing I have to say is…please remember what we've all said to ya. None of us…none of them blame ya for what happened. I understand that you're hurtin'. But just calm down, and remember that we chose this ourselves. This isn't your fault, Makoto."

Makoto sniffled again and shifted. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"But that doesn't change the fact that they're dead, Hibiki. Whether it was really my fault or not, the fact that I have to sit here watching you die—"

"No one is akin' ya to stay here with me," Hibiki cut in. She coughed violently and let out a moan. "Makoto…I am going to die here. Right now. So if ya don't wanna see that, then get out of here."

Makoto looked up at her. "I want to go with you, Hibiki."

"NO!"

"Hibiki…!"

"Don't ya dare ever think that way again, Makoto!" Hibiki ordered. "I am not goin' to let ya give up! These guys need ya, OK?! Ya have to be strong for them!" The monitor slowed even more and Hibiki half-screamed, half-moaned. She twitched on the bed, her breathing becoming extremely hoarse and jagged. "Thanks. For stayin' here…"

"Hibiki, no!"

"Goodbye, Makoto. Please take care o' yourself."

"HIBIKI!"

The monitor stopped. The single, piercing sound that signaled Hibiki's death sliced through all of Makoto's thoughts but one—Hibiki was dead. The boyish girl didn't move or speak; she just sat, staring in agonized sorrow at Hibiki's still body. The door cracked open, revealing Yukiho's face, which twisted in sadness at the sound of the long, monotonous "beep" coming from the monitor. The shy girl slid inside and walked over to her best friend's side.

"Makoto-chan…" Yukiho sniffed. "Makoto-chan, th-the others are worried. I—"

She was cut off by an ear-splitting wail, one of the most grievous sounds the frail brunette had ever heard. She yelped and backed away from the source of the sound; Makoto. After a few moments of listening to her cry and scream, Yukiho approached her again.

"M-Makoto-chan…"

"Go away, Yukiho!"

Yukiho sniffled and slowly wrapped her arms around Makoto. "Don't worry, Makoto-chan. Hibiki-chan must have known she would die. I'm sure she's happy. Please calm down."

"I can't calm down, OK?! Just stop pretending you can help me!" Makoto cried. "I'm so sick of all of you telling me it's going to be alright! It's not going to get better, Yukiho! If anything, it's going to get worse!"

"I'm sorry," Yukiho said quietly.

"And stop apologizing! All of this is my fault and you guys are apologizing!"

"Would you please stop?" Yukiho sobbed. "Seeing you s-so upset like this…I-I hate it! I hate seeing cry this much! I hate listening to you screaming like this! P-please calm down!"

Makoto sniffed. "I'm staying here tonight."

"No," Yukiho corrected, "you're staying with me tonight. Come back, please. The others are worried and you're scaring me, Makoto-chan. I'll take some of the burden, a-alright? If it helps, you can blame me for all of this! I-I'm sure that that fact that I was so confident in coming out here was what made some of the others feel like they would survive if they came out here too! S-so please, let some of it be my fault!"

Makoto sat up and slowly remove her hands from around Hibiki's. "I…she wanted me…to stop."

Yukiho pulled the girl to her feet and gave her another hug. "We all want you to stop."

"…I'm sorry, Yukiho. This is so, so hard for me. You have no idea. And, I know what you're thinking—at least I have you, right? While all these other people are suffering so much because people they love have died…but fact is, I love all of you and I watched them all die. And the fact that I led them to their deaths and there was nothing I could do to stop that is…really, really hard."

Yukiho nodded. "I-it's OK. We're not mad. Please come back," she soothed.

Makoto nodded slowly and wiped her eyes. "…O-OK. Thank you."

Yukiho smiled. "You were getting better for a while there…"

"Watching Hibiki die was too much."

"I know. Come on back. Leo-chan was looking for you. She seemed worried."

Makoto cracked a smile. "You two are great."

"You're great too, Makoto-chan. Let's go upstairs."

And so, Yukiho slid her hand into Makoto's and led her upstairs to the others, leaving Hibiki's body behind and passing Nina on the way. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that Nina survived her injuries. Makoto seemed ready to go in there and slash her to bits for murdering Hibiki, but with Yukiho's gentle comfort she managed to make it to the waiting area with the others.

That night, it seemed Takane had the most nightmares out of anyone, although to those who were in their minds, it was clear that Makoto's were far darker. She clung to Yukiho's hand all night.


	13. The Thirtieth Match

_The Thirtieth Match_

_ "The next match will be between _Ganryu versus Makoto Kikuchi!"

"Finally!" Iori sighed. "You! You've been grieving like crazy and you haven't even fought yet, so—h-hey, where are you going? G-get back here! I'm not done with you!"

Makoto ignored her and went straight down into the arena. At this point, it didn't matter to her if whoever her opponent was killed her. A part of her was saying to just let them win. But the stronger part of her, the part that had started to take over more and more ever since Hibiki's death, was urging her to win, or at least to try, to set an example for those who watched her.

She would show them that she could do more than just sit there and grieve.

Her opponent was a large man wearing nothing but a loincloth, commonly known as a mawashi. Makoto noted that he was a sumo wrestler.

_Strong. This guy is obviously really strong, but I'll bet he's slow. I'll just have to out-maneuver him._

Ganryu dipped his head for a moment and got himself into a ready pose. "I have a reason to win," he called. "Do you?"

Makoto laughed. "Not really," she admitted. "Aside from the fact that if I don't, a few very important people will be missing me."

"Fight well," Ganryu demanded. "That way, it will be that much more impressive when I defeat you. And then, my beloved Julia will be forced to notice me, don't you think?"

Makoto nodded. "Sure, perhaps she will. And when I win, maybe I'll finally be able to smile again. You think so?"

"Perhaps," Ganryu answered. "I would like to see a girl such as you defeat a strong wrestler such as I. We shall see!"

"Geez, I'm getting seen as a girl all over the place," Makoto squealed. "I like this tourna—wait, no. I hate this tournament. Well, the fact that I'm getting to fight now is kinda cool, but everyone is dying, and I hate that."

"Do not worry," Ganryu insisted. "I'll make sure you join them soon."

Makoto narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that!" _Alright, Makoto, this is it. This is the part where you prove your strength. _After a quick deep breath, Makoto charged the large sumo wrestler, who stood still and watched her.

Ganryu watched her and lifted his hands to block her attack, but at the last second Makoto swerved and ran around to his back. She slammed her foot into the back of Ganryu's head, but the large man hardly seemed fazed. He turned just in time to notice that Makoto was already behind him again. This time, she sent her fist flying into his spine as hard as she could. If she listened, Makoto thought she heard a slight crack, but Ganryu seemed completely unhindered. He turned to face her and moved his hands as though he would shove them against her body and knock her against the wall, but Makoto quickly sprang into the air and back-flipped out of the way, landing only inches from the wall.

_Too close. Dang it…I have to pay more attention…_

Ganryu chased after her. Makoto dodged off to his left and kicked his head. Ganryu caught her leg over his shoulder and slammed her onto the ground over his back. Makoto let out a cry of surprise, but she quickly recovered and returned to her feet—or rather, her foot that wasn't locked in Ganryu's iron grip. The strong man yanked her leg up and Makoto slipped onto her back again. She winced.

Ganryu stared down at he and slowly started to advance, moving over to seat himself on her other leg and slowly shoving her toes to her face. "If you give up, I will kill you easily," he promised.

"Well, unfortunately for you, I'm pretty darn flexible," Makoto declared proudly. Her knee came even closer to her ribcage until the two were almost touching. She screamed. "Dangit, I'm flexible but I'm not a contortionist!"

"Then you will give up, or I'll break it," Ganryu threatened, holding her leg close to her body.

Makoto smirked. "Don't think so." Grunting with the effort, the girl rolled over, taking Ganryu with her, until the tables were turned and she was on top. She jumped up onto her now-freed foot and slammed the foot Ganryu held forwards against his face before wrenching it free. She fled to the other side of the arena to give herself time to relax her damaged bone while Ganryu slowly rose to his feet again.

"You are strong," the sumo wrestler called out to her.

"You too," Makoto returned.

"But strength alone will not win you this battle!"

"…seriously, man? Do you not realize that I'm like, ten times faster than you too?"

"I…what you say is true, but that alone will not win you the battle!"

"Than what _will_, exactly?" Makoto asked, rising from her knees. She put most of her weight on her left leg, the uninjured one, and watched her opponent come closer.

_Think, Makoto, think. All you have as a weapon are your bare hands…and feet. And mouth. I could eat him but that would be gross. How else could I kill him without a weapon? _She continued to mentally strategize, completely ignoring whatever answer Ganryu might have given to her question.

"Did you hear that?"

"Huh?" Makoto blinked.

"I said to you, the only way to win is by outsmarting your opponent," Ganryu repeated. "Do you understand now? You are no match for my—literally—killer strategy!"

_Buy time. He likes banter, right? _"I thought you were more the kinda guy who relied on strength."

Ganryu appeared amused. Makoto let herself relax a bit and focus on her strategy.

"When people see a sumo wrestler, they see a large man with big muscles and immense strength," Ganryu explained. "But my sport, and my style, involves a large amount of strategizing as well."

"Really?" Makoto piped. "What kinds of strategizing? I mean, you must know plenty of ways to kill someone with your bare hands, right?" _That's it. I'll steal his idea._

Ganryu frowned. "Sumo is not about killing," he responded. "But for this match I thought of a few special moves." He made a few strides closer to her. Makoto prepared herself to run if he got too close.

"There has to be one you like the most, right?" she shouted. "What is it?"

Ganryu appeared oblivious to her scheme. "Why, if you snap one's neck, then one can no longer keep living. Correct?"

Makoto nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Then all I must do is snap your skinny little neck, and I will be crowned champion, and my Julia will praise me without end!"

_Snap his neck. How do I do that? It would be too obvious it I just tried twisting his head around with my hands. Maybe…_

"Enough chatter," Ganryu suddenly declared. "Time to finish things."

"Couldn't agree more, bro. I couldn't agree more."

Ganryu only had time to take one step before Makoto's plan was in action. She darted over to the large man and slipped behind him. Ganryu started to turn, but it was too late. Makoto quickly dropped down onto her hands, leaving her legs up in the air, and hooked her feet on his neck. Ganryu growled slightly and reached for her feet. Makoto shoved one down and inwards to the left, the other up and inwards to the right, forcing Ganryu's neck to bend until she heard a loud crack. She dropped down and rolled out of the way, then stood quickly. Ganryu's neck was bleeding through a break in his skin where the tip of his cracked bone had penetrated it.

"That alone…will not—"

"Win this battle, I know!" Makoto cut in. "Then maybe a little more…"

"What…?"

Makoto darted up behind Ganryu again and jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs as far around the big man's stomach as they would go. She positioned her hands on his head and twisted again, trying desperately to just snap his neck in two. Ganryu screeched and stumbled backwards, slamming Makoto against the wall in the process. She gritted her teeth and twisted harder. Ganryu clutched at her hands, trying to pull her off.

Makoto gave up, snapped her hands around his throat, and squeezed, hoping to just suffocate him to death. The more Ganryu struggled, the harder Makoto squeezed his airway closed. They remained that way for at least four minutes before Ganryu finally fell to his knees, trying desperately to breathe, but Makoto wouldn't let him. Ganryu's hands dropped to his sides and his head rolled back. Makoto clung on for a moment longer before releasing him. Ganryu fell backwards. Makoto paused to check his pulse and make sure he was dead before nodding to herself and heading up to the waiting area.

The announcer announced the winner. Makoto walked proudly up to the waiting area, where she was instantly tackle-hugged by Yukiho and Mami. Leo patted her back proudly, smiling.

"You did it, Makoto-chan!" Yukiho gasped. "I-I'm so glad, and you don't look hurt at all…"

Makoto groaned and collapsed on the floor, rolling lazily onto her back. "…ow, my leg…"

"A-are you alright…?!"

"I'm fine, I think…" Makoto glanced down at her injured leg and winced. "It's bleeding, but if I was able to make it through the whole rest of the match and walk up all these stairs on it, I think I'll be OK."

Yukiho let out a breath of relief. "Th-thank goodness…"

"Nice strategy, Makoto," Leo praised. "Using your enemy's weaknesses against them."

"Actually, my strategy was just to go out there and live until I figured out my _real _strategy, which ended up being his strategy and I just used it against him because I couldn't think of anything else." Makoto smiled.

"…well, at least you're smiling again."

Makoto nodded and lay her head back down on the floor. "Yeah, I guess. I should just be grateful that I have all of you guys. Being depressed isn't helping you, and like Hibiki said…like Hibiki said, I need to be strong. I'll be alright. But I would like to rest."

"Of course," Yukiho agreed. "Sleep tight, Makoto-chan. Congratulations on your match."

"And try to rest your leg, OK?"

"Your mom."

"What ABOUT my mom?!"

"…I don't know…"

"Well, my mom is dead! And she was amazing, and she was perfect, and there was nothing wrong with that beautiful sweet woman! So don't you dare insult my mom!"

"…sorry?"

"…go to sleep, kid."


	14. The Surprising Match

_ "I'm the only one of us who _hasn't fought yet," Ritsuko announced to the group. "It's pretty likely I'll be the next idol to fight."

"Go, go Riichan!" Ami, who was Ami today, exclaimed.

"You will make us proud, Ritsuko-san," Takane predicted.

Ritsuko smiled. "Thank you, guys. I'm really excited, to be honest. A chance to show that your producer is capable of more than just paperwork and drinking coffee and dance lessons."

"The next match is Xiaoyu Ling!" the announcer called. Ritsuko straightened her tie and stood by the door in expectance. "Her opponent is Ritsuko Akizuki!"

"And there it is," Ritsuko whispered. She stalked into the arena to meet Xiaoyu, you frowned at the sight of her. "Hey, kid."

"Hey," Xiaoyu returned. "Ritsuko…if you had been fighting one of your idols, one of you would have faked a death. I am a friend of yours, true, but I really, really don't want to die! I'm going to come at you with everything I have, so you must be prepared!"

Ritsuko smiled. "That's exactly what I had expected you to say," she admitted. "Don't worry about me, Xiaoyu. Just fight your best."

Xiaoyu grinned and nodded. "Ready?"

"Ready."

And all at once, Ritsuko found herself with a foot on her face.

She stumbled backwards and was immediately met with a barrage of punches from Xiaoyu. Gritting her teeth, Ritsuko threw her arms up to block Xiaoyu's next couple of attacks and shoved the girl backwards onto the ground. Xiaoyu rolled backwards and settled herself into a fighting crouch.

Ritsuko calmly took a few steps backwards. She knew full well that Xiaoyu wouldn't stay crouched for long. She watched as the girl suddenly leapt to her feet and flung herself straight at her opponent, who stepped aside nimbly at the last second. Ritsuko expected Xiaoyu to just slam against the wall and get knocked out—not for Xiaoyu to bounce off of the wall and come flying back at her, knocking her onto her face.

Xiaoyu let out a cry and slammed her hand into Ritsuko's neck. Ritsuko coughed and rolled over, taking Xiaoyu with her. She scrambled to her feet and gave Xiaoyu a quick, hindering kick to the stomach before leaping away again.

_A strategy, _she thought to herself. _I need a strategy…hm…maybe I could pretend to strangle her, right? I have to hurt her but I don't want her actually dyi—wait, where did you come from, kid?!_

Sure enough, Xiaoyu was at it again, throwing punch after jab after kick that cut mercilessly into Ritsuko's thoughts—and her vital organs. Ritsuko grunted and grabbed onto the first body part she could, which just so happened to be a wrist. Clinging tightly to the wrist, Ritsuko took a step back and swung Xiaoyu against the wall behind her. Xiaoyu squeaked and kicked Ritsuko in the side. Ritsuko made a pained noise and jabbed her elbow into Xiaoyu's back, then used her forearm to hold the girl against the wall. Xiaoyu growled a bit and threw her leg backwards, managing to kick Ritsuko in the shin. The older woman formulated a quick strategy in her mind and leaned in to Xiaoyu's ear to whisper with her.

"You're in a bit of a slump."

"I can get out of it," Xiaoyu insisted. "Really, I can!"

"Then prove it," Ritsuko ordered. She pulled Xiaoyu's hand behind her back and held the squirming teenager's front against the wall. Xiaoyu yelped. "If you don't break free from this in…ten seconds, I will repeatedly slam you against this wall until you are unconscious. I want you to pretend to be dead when I do. OK?"

"_If_ you do," Xiaoyu corrected. She twisted to the right, trying to spin herself away from the wall, but Ritsuko pushed her harder against the hard surface and trapped her with a knee to her side. Xiaoyu let out a whine.

"Ten."

Again Xiaoyu twisted, this time to the left. Ritsuko grabbed her other arm and pinned it behind her back with its match and effectively forcing Xiaoyu back against the wall.

"Nine, eight, seven."

She listened to Xiaoyu muttered to herself. The teenaged girl suddenly ducked and tried to back away under Ritsuko's legs. Ritsuko closed her legs and yanked Xiaoyu back up by her arms. She shoved her back against the wall.

"Six, five, four."

Xiaoyu tried to kick off the wall, but Ritsuko leaned all of her body weight against Xiaoyu's back—and her arms. She made a noise that sounded like half growl, half whine.

"Three…"

"Let go of me!"

"Two…"

"You are such a cheater! I'm way lighter than you!"

"One."

"You old hag!"

"I'm only nineteen! I swear!" Ritsuko frowned and leaned away from Xiaoyu, pulling her off the wall only to slam her against it again. Xiaoyu screamed.

"Hag!" she repeated. "You old hag! Hag!"

"You're only making me angry," Ritsuko sighed. She pulled Xiaoyu back off the wall and slammed her in with greater force. "I'm not old, OK?!"

"You're a bully, attacking a little girl!"

"Aren't you only…three years younger than me?" Ritsuko slammed her against the wall two more times. Xiaoyu screamed again.

"It doesn't…" She broke off and coughed.

Ritsuko pulled her off the wall and knocked her head against it; not hard enough to bash her skull in, but enough to knock her out. She released Xiaoyu's arms and the girl slid to the floor. Ritsuko bent and checked her pulse to be sure she was alive. She was.

For good measure, Ritsuko kicked her against the wall one more time before exiting the arena, confident that the audience would believe Xiaoyu to be dead. She paused by the paramedics and jerked her head at the arena. The paramedics nodded to show they understood and collected Xiaoyu's unconscious body. Ritsuko adjusted her glasses and went up to the waiting area.

"Is Xiao-Xiao dead?" Ami asked.

"Unconscious," Ritsuko corrected. "I couldn't bring myself to kill her. Even though she _did_ call me old."

"How old are you?" Lili asked.

"Nineteen," Ritsuko answered. Lili didn't look convinced. "I'm nineteen! I swear!"

Lili smirked. "Whatever you say…"

"Seriously, I'm not even legally able to drink yet! I'm not old!"

"Ritsuko-san, congratulations!" Yukiho piped. "I-I'm so glad you didn't kill Xiaoyu-chan. She's really nice."

Ritsuko nodded. "…two matches in a row of wins for our side. Before Hibiki's match, Mami was paired with Haruka so neither of them died. And even with Hibiki's death, she did so well that Nina is too injured to compete. All-in-all…for some reason, I don't think the next match will end well."

"Don't be ridiculous," Makoto chided. "Please don't start thinking like that now that I've finally started recovering. It'll be annoying."

Ritsuko sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know…" She forced herself to smile. "I'm glad you seem better, anyhow."

Makoto grinned. "Yeah, Hibiki and Yukiho helped a lot. Really."

Ritsuko nodded again, trying to shake the bad feeling she had. She accepted the congratulations of her friends with a smile, but deep inside the female producer knew things wouldn't end well.

_I guess only time will tell. Still…what is my gut trying to tell me?_


	15. The Horrifying Match

_The Horrifying Match_

_ "How about a hand for _Baek, everyone?"

The audience cheered like the announcer had prompted.

"Alright, then! Time to announce the next match!"

Makoto smiled and looked down at Yukiho, snuggled deep into her chest. "You can come out now, Yukiho. The body is gone."

Yukiho slowly pulled away from her best friend. "Th-there's no more blood?"

"No more. You can look."

Yukiho nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Makoto-chan," she squeaked. "Th-the way that man murdered was very…scary."

"I know what you mean," Makoto agreed. "Half the people here are so merciless. It's scary."

"The next match will be with Yukiho Hagiwara!"

Yukiho screamed involuntarily. "I…th-that's me!" she stammered. "W-what if I fight someone strong…?! I don't want to die!"

Makoto gripped her hands. "I failed with Yayoi, but when it comes to you I will not let you die."

"Her opponent is Makoto Kikuchi!"

Makoto twitched. "Wait, already? I just had a match two matches ago."

"Th-that Nina woman was the same," Yukiho declared. She let out a loud cry and hugged Makoto again. "Oh, Makoto-chan, I'm so glad…! This means—"

"Yeah, I know," Makoto interrupted. "It means I can knock you out of the tournament without killing you, and then you won't be at risk." She grinned. "Yukiho, this is really great!"

"Come on!" Yukiho giggled. "Let's go down, so I can hurry and get out of the tournament…!"

"Right!"

The two friends ran into the arena together, smiling and waving to their friends. Upon entering the arena, Yukiho and Makoto retreated to opposite sides, Yukiho as far against the side wall as possible, and faced each other. Makoto took a deep breath and set her face into a frown.

_I already know how I'm going to "kill" her, _she reminded herself. _I'm going to strangle her. I hope Yukiho doesn't have a sensitive neck or something…_

A few more seconds, and then Makoto charged at her best friend and slid behind her, instantly hooking one arm round Yukiho's neck and the other under her arm. Yukiho gasped, startled, but she quickly realized that Makoto wasn't actually choking her. In fact, the smaller girl barely felt any pressure at all. She caught onto Makoto's plan quickly and forced herself to cough, clutching at Makoto's arm to make it seem more realistic.

"Am I hurting you?" Makoto whispered into her ear.

Yukiho coughed forcibly again. "No, I can barely tell your arm is there."

"You're doing great," Makoto praised quietly. "Now listen. I'm going to tighten my hold a little. You might feel a bit more pressure but I promise I won't hold you long enough to actually choke you. When you're really running out of breath, I want you to fall limp or something. Pretend you've lost all your breath and you're dead, and then I'm going to throw you to the ground. It might hurt a bit, OK?"

Yukiho pretended to gasp for breath. "O-OK. I understand. Please take care of me," she said.

"That's my Yukiho," Makoto breathed softly. "Alright, let me know if I'm hurting you too much." She pulled her arm tighter around Yukiho's neck. "Are you still breathing alright?"

Yukiho squeaked. "I-I'm fine, it was…" She trailed off and coughed, clutching harder at the arm around her throat.

"Are you sure you're alright…?!"

"I-I'm fine, really…!"

Makoto let out a breath of relief. "I'm going to make this simple for you," she announced, loud enough for the audience to hear. "You just relax and let the breath leave your body. It'll come naturally, I promise."

"P-please let me—" Yukiho broke off and coughed. Makoto frowned and Yukiho smiled at her for just a second to assure her that she was alright.

"It's really pitiful how you cry for mercy," Makoto laughed. "This is a fighting tournament! If you didn't want to die, you shouldn't have signed up."

"You made me sign up…Makoto-chan."

Makoto winced. "I…"

"Oh, Makoto-chan, I'm sorry!" Yukiho gasped. "I-I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine," Makoto insisted, lowering her voice again. "You're right, after all. But don't worry. I'm going to get you out of this."

Yukiho tried to nod, then settled with a smile instead. "Thank you…" She coughed, more realistic-sounding this time. "M-Makoto-chan, it's starting to hurt…"

"Can you still breathe?"  
"Yes."

"Just a little longer, Yukiho. Just a little, tiny bit longer."

Yukiho fell silent and waited. After about two minutes, her gasps became more frantic and she clutched desperately at Makoto's arm. The boyish girl waited for Yukiho to fall limp, signifying that she had started to lose breath, Makoto took a deep breath and tossed her to the floor.

Both of them forgot about the jagged rock at the edge of the arena.

The seconds Yukiho hit the ground, Makoto knew something was wrong. The fragile brunette gasped and her eyes widened. Her mouth was hanging open, her body twitching. Makoto gazed at her, bewildered.

"Yu…Yukiho?"

Yukiho tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Blood pooled out on the ground beneath her head. She moved her lips as though she were saying something, but no words came.

Makoto fell to her knees and grabbed her hand. "Yukiho…?!"

Yukiho's eyes rolled back in her head. She heaved a great, shuddering sigh, and then she fell still. Makoto gaped down at her.

"Yukiho? Yukiho! W-what happened?!" Shocked, Makoto slid her arm to the back of Yukiho's head. Her fingers touched stone. She pulled Yukiho's head off the ground and gasped. Yukiho's head had landed on the jagged rock. The force with which she was thrown onto it caused the pointed object to break through her skull and pierce her brain.

In other words, Makoto had killed her.

Makoto's eyes filled with tears. She lay Yukiho on the ground beside the rock absentmindedly, gaping in terror at the bloody solid that had ended her best friend's life.

"No…"

She felt Yukiho's pulse. Nothing.

"No…no, no, no, no…no! NO! Yukiho! YUKIHO!" Makoto screamed in horror. She shook Yukiho's body violently. "Yukiho, wake up! WAKE UP ALREADY! YUKIHO!"

The audience murmured to each other, bewildered. The idols up in the waiting area frowned. Makoto screamed again.

"What are you doing, Yukiho?! Get up! This wasn't supposed to happen! You were supposed to be OK! I was supposed to protect you! Now get up…! GET UP!" Makoto cried. She gave up on shaking Yukiho after the girl showed no signs of opening her eyes. She stared at her a few more moments and then let out a bloodcurdling scream, the most grievous, sorrowful sound anybody in the audience had eve rheard in their lives.

Absolutely mortified, Makoto gazed down at Yukiho's corpse for a long time, trying to figure out what her last words could have been. At last, a slight smile crossed her lips and she chuckled.

"Were you telling me to go with you?" she asked sweetly, running her fingers through Yukiho's bloodstained hair. "I understand. That was it, wasn't it?" Her chuckle turned into a full-on laugh, the same maniacal laughter the audience had heard her utter when Yayoi died. "Don't you worry, Yukiho! I'm coming! I hear you calling me!"

Makoto suddenly reached over and pulled the jagged rock out of the ground. She turned the sharp, pointed edge in towards her chest and laughed.

"I'M COMING!"

The audience let out a collective gasp as Makoto drove the edge of the rock deep into her chest. She yanked it out and waited a few moments before stabbing herself again, and again, wildly lodging the sharp solid into her body before drawing it out and re-inserting it into a different vital organ, all the while screaming wildly at Yukiho's body.

Leo, up in the waiting area, wasted no time in running down the stairs and into the arena to stop her new friend. Ritsuko followed after her quickly. The two nineteen-year-old girls hurtled over to Makoto to stop her from killing herself, just as the girl smashed herself in the head with the blunt side of the stone. Leo tackled her to the floor and tore the rock from her hands before tossing it to the ground away from her.

"Snap out of it!" she ordered. Makoto just chuckled.

"Aren't we friends?" she purred. "Come on, Leo. Yukiho wants me. I have to go to her. Hand me the rock."

"You're insane!"

"Am I?" Makoto shook her head and looked over at Yukiho's body. "We understand each other. That makes me insane? I don't think so."

Ritsuko ran down to the two and crouched beside them. "Makoto, calm down. We'll get you to the hospital and they'll take care of you, OK?"

Makoto's eyes suddenly turned angry. "Take care of me? Take CARE of me?! What about Yukiho, huh?! Will they take care of her? No, of course not! They can't! She's DEAD!" she screeched, lurching upwards and throwing Leo off of her. The spelunker tumbled to the ground and started after her, but not before Makoto reached the rock and wildly began stabbing herself again. Leo ran up and grabbed her hand, trying desperately to keep her from murdering herself.

"Let go of me!"

"Please calm down, Makoto!" Leo begged. "Just calm down! I know you're upset but you can't kill yourself!"

"Would you let go?! Yukiho! Yukiho, I hear you! I'm coming!"

Ritsuko frowned and ran up to them. Leo held Makoto's arm away from her body while Ritsuko ripped the rock out of her hand again. Makoto growled and turned on her.

"Leave me ALONE!" she shouted, tearing out of Leo's grasp and heading for the rock again. Before Leo could pin her down again, she grabbed the rock and jumped on Ritsuko, driving the edge into her neck. Ritsuko screamed. "Do you like that?! This is what you get for trying to stop me, you b*tch!"

Ritsuko moaned in pain and Makoto laughed maniacally again. Leo frowned and ran to her. Before the insane girl could do any more damage, Leo slammed her head against the wall of the arena, effectively rendering her unconscious. She pulled the rock from Makoto's hand, and Makoto slid to the ground, leaving Ritsuko panting on her back, covering her neck with her hands.

Leo knelt by her. "You OK?"

"Are you?"

"Fine," Leo assured her. "…stay here. I'll get the paramedics." She stood and started off.

"Leo!" Ritsuko called hoarsely. She coughed. "Get a psychiatrist, too."

Leo took one look at Makoto's blacked-out body and nodded. After one last glance at Ritsuko, she ran out of the arena to find the paramedics, Makoto's laughter echoing behind her as she tried to force out the memory of her friend's descension into madness.


	16. The Dreary Hour

_The Dreary Hour_

_ "Would you just calm down _already?" Leo begged.

Makoto twitched on the bed, trying desperately to escape the metal cuffs that held her to the surface. "Just leave me alone, OK?! I KILLED my own best friend! I killed her! Would you like to live with that knowledge?! Just let me die already! LET ME JOIN HER!"

"Calm the he** down!" Leo ordered, jumping to her feet. Her eyes narrowed and she glared down at Makoto, who returned her gaze with a sorrowful stare. Leo frowned. "Come on, Makoto. I was there for you when Yayoi died and I'll be here for you now. You bounced back after all of that, remember? You can bounce back now."

"No I can't," Makoto muttered.

There was silence, aside from Makoto's grunts of annoyance when she found she couldn't break out of the cuffs. Leo sighed.

"Then I guess I'll just go," she decided. "Makoto…please try to calm down. Remember you still have friends who love you. Like me."

"It's not the same." Makoto looked away.

Leo nodded. "Whatever you say…but at least try."

"Get out!"

The older girl waited a few more seconds before leaving. Makoto was left alone again. She sniffled loudly and tears spilled from her eyes, the memory of Yukiho's corpse floating endlessly through her mind. She cried out in agony and wished with all her heart that she could just die already and end the physical and mental torture she was forced to endure.

It had been two days since the match no one had been expecting; the match that should have catapulted Makoto's spirits higher, but had instead drained them to an all-time low. The match that should have guaranteed Yukiho's safety, but had instead led to her death. Every idol left in the competition except for Iori had visited Makoto in her hospital room, trying their best to cheer her out of the madness and the depression that suffocated their once-cheery friend. Even Leo and Lili had paid her a visit. But it seemed that with every word of advice the girls offered, Makoto only got angrier and angrier until it seemed no one could help her.

The injuries she sustained from trying to kill herself were severe, and most of the doctors figured she wouldn't survive, especially without a will to live.

No one counted on Minase Iori.

The rich young miss entered Makoto's room about fifteen minutes after Leo had left to give Makoto time to calm down a little. She said nothing at first; she simply sat in the chair next to the bed and offered Makoto a simple nod.

"You're here to tell me to calm down, huh?" Makoto chuckled, her voice laced with contempt.

"I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry," Iori corrected. "I'm sorry that the others don't understand. I don't understand. I don't think any of us will ever understand your pain, Makoto."

Silence.

"Thanks," Makoto said quietly. "But it won't help. Now get me out of these cuffs, Iori…! I want to go—"

"I know," Iori cut in. "You want to go join her. To join _them_."

Makoto fell silent.

"So do I," Iori admitted. "I want to see Yayoi again. She's my best friend. Yukiho is yours."

"I killed my own best friend, Iori," Makoto whispered, staring up at the ceiling, tears in her eyes. "I killed her. She must hate me."

"I don't think so…"

"They all must hate me!"

Iori calmly shook her head. "I don't think any of them hate you," she soothed. "I wonder…if they were still alive, what do you think they'd say to you?"

"That they hate me?"

"No, I think it'd be more like…" Iori paused and pulled off her headband, letting her bangs fall looser. She shook her head around a bit and plastered an overly-cheery smile on her face. She perched on the bed.

Makoto raised an eyebrow. "What are you…?"

"Here's what Miki would say," Iori began. When she spoke again, it was in a ridiculously high-pitched voice that was apparently supposed to resemble Miki's. "Hi, Makoto-kun~! Miki is stupid, nano nano nano~! But Miki still wanted to tell you something because Miki is always so annoying and happy and loves onigiri, nano nano nano nano~! So anyways, Miki just wanted to say that Miki is stupid—Miki means, happy that Makoto-kun got into the finals, because she deserves to. Miki was always a weakling anyways. So don't blame yourself for Miki's death because she knew she was gonna die when she signed up. Just do your best for Miki's sake, nano nano nano Miki nano onigiri Miki nano nano nano~!"

Makoto cracked a small smile at Iori's horrible and yet extremely accurate portrayal of Miki. The Minase daughter smiled and thought about the next victim.

"Next is Yayoi." She pulled her hair into pigtails and tied it up with hair-bands she kept on her wrist. She plastered the brightest smile she could onto her face and took a deep breath. "…U-uun~! Makoto-san, I heard you were feeling bad so I wanted to come talk to you!" she cheered in a high, somewhat nasally voice. "Now, I know you blamed yourself for my death because you were supposed to protect me. But I don't blame you. Sure, I was terrified and I trusted you to look after me, but I knew that you probably wouldn't be able to save me. It's alright that you failed. I'm just really, really happy to know that you cared enough to try to help me. So stop blaming yourself, please, and make me even more proud by winning! If, that is, you can beat Iori-chan because she's the best!" Iori tossed one of her pigtails. "Makoto-san, high touch!"

Makoto smiled a little more. "I can't. I'm strapped to a bed."

Iori blinked and gave her a low touch instead. "Now, Azusa-san." She pulled her hair out of the pigtails and put her headband back in. She dropped her face in her hand and spoke in a breathy voice. "Oh, Makoto-chan, it's you~. Do you remember what I told you before I died? Well, I want you to remember that~. I really do love you because I'm stupid and love everyone, and I hope you feel better because I want you to."

Makoto actually chuckled this time. Iori grinned.

"Hibiki's turn!" She pulled her hair into a ponytail with her hair-ties. Then she beamed. "Heya, it's Hibki here! So, uh, since I'm actually Iori I'm not gonna speak in my usual dialect 'cause Iori doesn't know how. But yeah! I just wanted you to know that Miki, the stupid one, said hi 'cause she's stupid, and I'm really, really proud of you for making it this far! You're a good friend, Makoto. Don't kill yourself. That'd make me sad and stuff. So, yeah! Take care of Takane and my critters for me, 'kay? Oh yeah, and yourself. Take care of yourself too. Remember my last words."

Makoto nodded slowly. "You're pretty good at this, Iori."

"Naturally." Iori giggled. "…are you ready?"

"Why do I—"

"It's Yukiho next."

Makoto flinched. "…fine. Try it."

Iori pulled her hair out of the ponytail. She smiled shyly and spoke shakily. "U-um, h-hi, Makoto-chan. I-It's me, Yukiho. Um…I-I just wanted to l-let you know—"

"She doesn't stutter that much," Makoto interrupted, frowning. "Especially not around me."

"Do you want me to try to make you feel better?" Iori sighed. Makoto froze, then nodded slowly. "Then shut up. OK, where was I…? Oh, right!" She resumed her shaky, breathy voice. "A-anyways, I wanted to let you know that I'm not mad. I know that you were trying to protect me, and that you wanted so badly to take care of me. And I'm not mad at you. It was an accident." She paused. "M-Makoto-chan?"

Makoto had started crying again, but she was smiling. She sniffled. "P-please keep going," she pleaded to Iori. Iori frowned slightly, but she continued anyway.

"I…I know that you're really upset. I understand why. You feel like you've let me down. But, I really want you to try your best for me. I don't want you to die because you felt like you had to be with me. I'll be alright without you, and just remember…I'm watching over you, Makoto-chan. I-I always will be. You're never alone."

Makoto broke into sobs. Iori smiled sympathetically at her, and for the first time she felt something other than hatred and indifference towards the boyish idol.

"You see?" she cooed in her normal voice. "I…I don't think they're mad at you at all. They would want you to do your best. Of course, you'll never beat me, but you should try."

"Why are you doing this?" Makoto sobbed. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because you need me," Iori replied. "Makoto, I…I know we haven't gotten along in the past, because I'm better than you and you're jealous. But…I-I want to help you. I want you to recover…" She caught Makoto grinning at her and blushed, turning away to try and hide it. "I-I just want a good fight from you! That's all!"

"Iori…I let everyone down. I let _you_ down when I allowed Yayoi to die. I'm sorry," Makoto said. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "But…no matter what, because of what you've done for me today, I want to protect you in that arena. In the final matches. Because no matter what, I can't let another person die here. So…" She chuckled. "This is going to sound really corny. Can I ask it?"

"Ask what?" Iori pressed.

"Will you let me be your prince?"

Iori blinked. "You're right, that was corny."

"Sorry…"

"But…I think it could work out. As long as you stay out of my way."

Makoto grinned. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how glad I am that you did what you did. Somehow, it took a load off of me…it felt like the ones who have died were really here in the room with me," she breathed.

Iori looked over at a key on a table in the room—a key that was likely for the cuffs on Makoto's limbs. "…I'm going to un-cuff you, alright? Don't kill yourself when I do or I'll sue you."

"I won't."

"And when I do…maybe we can write letters or something to the girls who died," Iori suggested. "Do you think that might be fun?"

"You're feeling awfully sentimental today, huh?" Makoto prompted, a twinkle in her eye.

Iori blushed again. "I'm just…leave me alone!"

"Tsundere~"

"Sh-shut up, you!"

Huffing loudly, Iori grabbed the key from the table and unlocked the cuffs on Makoto's hands. The black-haired girl immediately flung her arms around Iori and hugged her close for a moment. Iori's blush deepened.

"G-get off, will you?"

"Thank you, Iori," Makoto trilled. "I really, really appreciate it. Thank you."

"…shut up and let go of me."

Makoto chuckled and released her. "Can you get my legs, please?"

"Sure."

When Makoto had been completely un-cuffed, Iori went outside and returned a few minutes later with paper and a couple pencils. For the rest of her time visiting with Makoto, the two of them wrote letters to the idols who had died. Iori felt herself looking forward to the final matches.

She knew that no matter what, she would fight alongside her new prince—even though in the end, she would be the sole winner. She is Minase Iori, after all.

And Makoto, late at night, finally pieced together what Yukiho's last words would have been:

_"I forgive you."_

**XxXxX**

_Hey you,_

_When you died, some part of me was excited while another part was a little upset. I'll admit, even though you're annoying I looked forward to seeing you every day, if not only to taunt you or something. You're stupid and annoying and think you're so cool just because you're Miki, but…maybe that's why I'll miss you so much. _

_Try not to get fat on onigiri wherever you are, OK?_

_Minase Iori_

_Hey Miki!_

_It's Makoto here. I wish I could actually give you this letter. Do you know where they buried you? If it had been me, I would have buried you next to that cellphone accessories store you love. The one that's right next to that onigiri stand you love. Do you think they would let me bury a dead girl outside their store? Probably not._

_So, I have a question for you. Are you in love with me? Because to me it always kinda seemed like you had a crush on me or something. I guess it doesn't matter now since you're dead. But anyway, it doesn't really bother me if you were. I'm used to it anyways. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Please forgive me._

_See you soon,_

_Makoto~_

_Dear Yayoi,_

_Hi, Yayoi-chan. It's Iori. I miss you already. Do you think of me up there? I think of you all the time down here. I miss you like crazy. Did I already say that? Oh well. I love you, so…please take care of yourself and everyone else. Are they being kind to you? I hope so. You're not useless, by the way. I know you think you were. But you weren't. You aren't. I really, really love you, so so much. Remember me forever, OK? Because I will never, ever forget you. _

_Goodbye, my precious friend._

_Love,_

_Minase Iori_

_Yayoi,_

_A lot of people say I'm a prince. I don't think I am. I let you die, after all. Do you think I'm a prince? Even though I let you down? I'm really sorry, Yayoi._

_Iori says you aren't mad, that you're just happy I tried. Was she right? I sure hope so. I miss you. I'm so sorry I let you down like that. I hope you're comfortable, wherever you are. Oh yeah, and…if you were alive I'd give you a high touch. You give great high touches._

_My sincerest apologies,_

_Makoto~_

_Dear Azusa-san,_

_You were always such a fantastic group member. I admired you a lot. You were always so sweet to us. Did it ever seem like I hated you? I never did. I'm just…like that. I'm bad at expressing my true feelings to people. Please forgive me for being a jerk. I hope you aren't getting lost up there._

_Your Favorite Ryuuguu Komachi Partner,_

_Minase Iori_

_Hi Azusa-san,_

_Can I have your breasts since you don't need them anymore? Just kidding. Kinda._

_Your last words to me were really touching. I've never forgotten them. I'm sorry for letting you down. I do that a lot, huh? Anyways, I've always thought of you like a big sister. It was really tough to watch you die. But I hope you'll always be watching over me like Yukiho is. I'll be looking out for you, too. Thanks._

_My deepest gratitude…fancy words, huh?_

_Makoto~_

_Hibiki,_

_I never really cared much about you, but I do miss you a bit. I don't have much to say about you, except that you did really good in your match. You're a strong girl and I hope you're having fun._

_Not much else to say,_

_Minase Iori_

_Yo Hibiki!_

_It's Makoto here. Are there animals up there? You know, like, dead animals? If there are, say hi to my pet gerbil for me. He died._

_I hope you're enjoying yourself. I'm gonna miss you…heck, I already miss you! No more friendly competitions, huh? Oh well. I'll recover, I hope. Your last words to me were really sweet. I'm gonna miss ya, girl! Hopefully getting' without ya'll be no problemo~. Can't wait to see you again!_

_Talk to you later,_

_Makoto~_

_Hi Yukiho._

_We never really spoke much, did we? Well, I think it's really sweet how you always made tea for me whenever I asked. Thank you for that. For the record, I've always kinda admired you. You're so sweet and kind. I wish I were like that. I hope there are no men or dogs up there. Wouldn't want you getting scared!_

_Sincerely,_

_Minase Iori_

_My dearest Yukiho,_

_My gosh, I wish I could see you again. Are you mad at me? You have every right to be. I can't believe I actually killed you like that. If you were here right now, I would hug you and never let go again. Would that be OK with you? I think it would be, right? I love you and you love me, after all. At least, I think you do. Anyways, I feel awful. I'm going to try my best to recover from killing you. Please don't be mad at me._

_When you were dying, were you trying to say "I forgive you"? I read your lips. That's what I think you were trying to say. I'll always love you, Yukiho. Please don't ever forget me. I'll never forget you either._

_Sleep well, my sweet Yukiho,_

_Your Makoto~_

_…hey, Makoto,_

_It's Iori. For some reason I wanted to write you this letter, even though I'm never going to give it to you. Thank you for offering to protect me. Truth is, I'm pretty scared. What if my guns run out of bullets? I'll be defenseless. You had better not let me down. I'm counting on you so please take care of me. Ugh, I sound like your girlfriend or something. Ew._

_Anyway, thanks again. Please take care of yourself. Seeing you go insane like that is kind of frightening._

_Seriously, keep me safe,_

_The Great Minase Iori_

_…dear Iori,_

_I got to thinking, maybe I should write you a letter to express my appreciation. Somehow, seeing you try so, so hard to cheer me up—like, you even pretended to be Miki—made me so happy. I'm so glad that you cared enough to try to help. No matter what, I will not let you die in that arena. I swear on my life I won't let you die. Please, then, promise you'll let me protect you. I can't save you from danger if you're constantly shoving me away._

_Thank you for everything you did, Iori. You truly work wonders on a girl's heart. And her brain, for that matter…_

_Guess I'll call you Princess from now on,_

_Your Prince, Makoto._


	17. The Gory Match

**(A/N: OH GOSH YOU GUYS I'M SO SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED THIS IN FOREVER! I had my thumbdrive confiscated and just got it back a week ago and then I had school and I couldn't write and BLEH!  
Well. After this chapter coms thefinal match, but I have no idea who's gonna win it. I have too mayn ideas ;-; So, there will be a poll on my profile ( ) or just let me know through a PM who you want to win (Wattpad). I'll tally up the votes and post the next chapter as the OFFICIAL ending. The other endings will still be released, just as alternate endings. If you guys have a request for an ending, I'll get to those. I already have a few requests pent up so...yeah.  
I need your help, guys. Thanks for being so patient!)**

_ The Gory Match_

_ "Is Makochin gonna recover in _time for the final matches?" Ami asked.

Leo shrugged. "Last I heard, she was starting to recover. I guess something inside her just decided it wanted to live and now…yeah."

"You're welcome," Iori muttered.

"Eh?!" Ami gasped. "It's 'cause of Iorin? But, Iorin, you hate Makochin…"

"…I don't hate her," Iori corrected. "I…she was trying her best. In the end she can be really sweet and it was wrong of me to judge her. I can't even imagine how she must have felt. I mean, if I killed Yayoi…goodness, I can't even picture it…"

Ami nodded. "Glad to see you like her." She gave Iori a wink that made the older girl blush.

"What the heck was that wink for, idiot?! Geez, don't look at me like we're in love! That's disgusting in so many ways I want to throw up!"

"Don't throw up on Ami's shoes, Iorin. Ami likes those."

"You idiot…!"

"This match will be Kuma versus Ami Futami!"

"I hope you die," Iori snapped bitterly. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "No, no! I-I didn't mean it! Please don't die!"

"Iorin, you softy~"

"Sh-shut up…!"

Ami stood and trotted into the arena, excited for her first fight. For a moment, she was completely carefree and started humming a tune.

Then her opponent, the huge grizzly bear named Kuma, reared onto his back paws and growled loudly, and Ami remembered how mercilessly he'd torn apart his other opponents.

She gulped. "Hi there, Kumakiichi," she greeted. "Ami is gonna fight you. Will you go easy on Ami?"

Kuma roared and settled back down onto all-fours.

"…um, Ami doesn't speak bear," Ami sighed.

Kuma roared again.

Ami took a couple of steps back. "Right…" Suddenly, she whirled and sprinted to the other side of the arena. Kuma chased after her. Ami turned and started running all around the arena, darting left and right like a zebra escaping a lion. Kuma continued to run after her.

"Run, Ami! Come on!" Iori screamed. "Tire him out!"

Ami nodded and kept running. But it was getting harder to breathe, her legs ached, and her throat burned. She couldn't keep running for much longer, and she needed a bit of energy to fight back. So she stopped and spun to face Kuma. The giant brown animal leapt at her and Ami dodged. Kuma slammed into the wall. He growled and turned towards Ami, baring his teeth.

"Good job, Ami!" Ritsuko called. "You're doing great! Keep it up!"

Ami offered her a thumbs-up and backed against the wall, panting. Again Kuma lunged for her, and again Ami dodged. Kuma slammed into the wall, and Ami could see blood dripping down his fur from a spot on his head, but it only seemed to make the bear angrier. He reared again and stepped towards Ami on his hind legs. Ami stepped back and ran against the far wall.

_Kumakiichi won't fall for that trick again, _she told herself. She cracked her knuckles. _Ami must control him. If Ami can get on his back, she can steer him into the wall! That's it!_

Her strategy in mind, Ami beckoned Kuma to come towards her. "Come at Ami, bro!" she yelled. She paused to gather as much energy as possible, then Kuma ran at her, roaring viciously. Ami took a deep breath.

As soon as Kuma came close enough, she circled around him and jumped on his back, clinging tightly to clumps of his brown fur.

Kuma roared and reared, stumbling backwards on two legs. Ami gripped the fur in her hands and tried to steer him into the wall. Thankfully, the young idol was successful and the massive grizzly crashed into the wall. Again Ami turned him towards the wall, and leaned forwards to give the bear the momentum he needed to slam against it. Ecstatic, Ami giggled gleefully, her grip on Kuma's fur loosening ever-so-slightly.

It was all Kuma needed to suddenly buck and throw her from his back.

Ami flew onto the ground in the middle of the arena. Her back cracked loudly and she coughed up blood, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Iori screamed. Ritsuko gasped. The audience cheered.

Kuma ran to Ami and pounced on her with a growl. Ami felt her heartbeat speed up and she gasped. Before she could even move, Kuma dug his long claws into her skin and ripped them out, tearing a long gash in her abdomen. Ami screamed and began to wriggle, but Kuma ignored her struggling and instead fastened his jaws over her face. There was muffled screaming, a low rumble from the back of Kuma's throat, and a loud, horrible snapping sound…and when Kuma pulled away, there was a mess of blood, bone, and brains where Ami's face had once been.

Iori screamed again and beat at the glass with her fists. Ritsuko looked away in disgust. Takane dipped her head, acknowledging the young idol's defeat. Alisa tried to get herself to cry, but her cyborg nature wouldn't allow it. Leo and Lili stepped closer to each other and exchanged a sorrowful glance.

"…I'm going to go tell Makoto, alright?" Leo said quietly, then repeated it louder to be heard over the roaring crowd, half of which were on their feet, cheering for Kuma. The grizzly got on his hind legs and beat his chest, then collapsed back onto all-fours and lumbered out of the arena. Paramedics ran in to retrieve Ami's bloodied corpse. Iori began to sob.

"Perhaps it would be better for her not to know," Takane said quietly. "Not yet, at least, when her mental condition is so unstable. She will find out eventually. Right now, my concern is—" She paused to wipe a tear from her eye. "—how we will deliver the news to Mami."

Leo nodded. "You're probably right," she agreed. "Mami was…her twin, right?"

"Yes." Takane nodded. "No doubt she will be absolutely devastated."

Ritsuko hugged Iori tightly as the auburn-haired teen bawled into her shoulder. "We can't let Mami live in the dark. She has to know," she murmured. "But I don't look forward to telling her. …let's go home, alright? There's nothing here for us anymore."

The other two idols present nodded solemnly and joined their elder. Ritsuko took their hands in her own ad led them out. She paused by the door.

"Oh, and Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"…do tell Makoto. I trust you can calm her down if she explodes."

"…got it."

Slowly, the three teenaged idols wandered back to their apartment, clutching hands. None of them looked forward to sharing the news with Mami.


	18. The Final Match

**(A/N: WAAAAAAAH.**

**IT'S ENDING, OH MAH GOSH I'M NOT READY! **

**Well, I finally got enough votes and this was the result! Enjoy.**

**...you guys, I made myself cry writing this. **

**Oh yeah! Sorry for the length of this, by the way. I had a looooooot to stuff into one chapter.)**

_The Final Match_

_ Iori yawned and tapped her_ fingers on the ground beside her. Sitting on her right was Ritsuko, and on her left was the recently-recovered Makoto, who was currently shaking rather violently. Over the past seven matches, the remaining three of the four girls they'd met had been wiped out, but the girls weren't exactly worried; Lili and Leo had taken tips from the idols and faked a death when they thought they'd received enough injuries for it to look real, and Alisa, being a cyborg, could be easily repaired and sent back into the fray.

Despite the fact that they knew the deaths had been faked, Iori and Makoto were still rather saddened by the matches; Leo had become a very close friend of Makoto's and Lili was a mentor of sorts to Iori. Both girls also knew that based on the injuries Leo and Lili had needed to sustain to make their deaths look realistic, there was a chance the girls could bleed out and die for real.

"Alright now, it's time for the final match!" the announcer cheered. "Are you ready?!"

The audience cheered.

"Final match?" Iori echoed. "What the heck, there's still…eight competitors left!"

"This match will be an eight-person free for all," the announcer continued. "All eight of the final competitors will battle it out in a battle royale! The last one standing is the winner!"

Makoto cast Iori a glance, a small smile on her face. "I have to admit, that makes me pretty happy," she said quietly. "I'll be able to protect you; all three of you. Just promise you'll make it easy."

"You're still hurt," Ritsuko pointed out. "Let Takane and I take care of ourselves. You just take care of Iori and yourself, got it?"

Makoto frowned. "If they come too close to you and there's something I can do, I'm going to do it."

"Fine. But don't go out of your way for us. Even if you've recovered enough to fight, you're still tremendously weakened, and I don't want you making unnecessary sacrifices."

Makoto nodded in response.

"The first four competitors; Ritsuko Akizuki, Iori Minase, Makoto Kikuchi, and Takane Shijou!" the announcer called. The four idols walked slowly down into the arena, where each one then went to a different corner. Makoto was limping slightly and Iori seemed to wobble just a bit, likely from her back injury from fighting with Anna, but each girl held her head high and stood straight as they could.

"The next four competitors; Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima, Jin Kazama, and Lars Alexandersson!"

The four men wandered down, each at his own pace, and went to different walls. Heihachi cackled and examined his opponents. Kazuya smirked across at his son, an excited gleam in his eye. Jin leaned against the wall and glared evenly at his father and grandfather. Lars took out his cellphone and made a quick call before returning the object to his pocket.

The idols drew in a simultaneous deep breath. Makoto kept her eyes on Iori at all times. Iori fiddled with the guns at her hips. Ritsuko looked around at her enemies and worked to calculate a strategy. Takane only glanced around at the arena and wished for a bowl of ramen.

Then the announcer blew an air-horn, and the arena became a mess.

Jin, Kazuya, and Heihachi ignored everyone else and simply charged at each other, beating one another as mercilessly as they could. Powers from the Devil Gene clashed, grandfather beat father beat son, and the idols (and Lars) were left standing against their walls or corners.

Lars suddenly stalked off to Takane and pointed at her. "You. I'm going to fight you."

"Wha—"

Takane was cut off when Lars punched her in the face. She stumbled into the corner and was kicked, and kicked again, and punched. Lars was a whirlwind, attacks coming from all directions.

And Takane, being in a corner, was trapped.

That all changed, however, when Ritsuko suddenly thundered over to Lars and body-checked him into the open, freeing the beaten Takane. Lars stumbled, but quickly recovered his footing and charged at Ritsuko. Ritsuko fought him back, using any skills she could to keep him at bay. Takane coughed, then drew in deep breaths until she had recovered enough to help Ritsuko. The two idols tag-teamed Lars, who was able to land decent hits on both of them while holding back their attacks. After all, the man hadn't gotten into the final match for nothing.

Makoto had immediately run over to Iori once the match started and was standing guard over the Minase daughter. Iori had drawn her guns and was pointing one at the cluster of fighting Mishima-Kazamas and the other at Lars.

Makoto nudged her. "Shoot."

"What?"

"Try to hit…Kazuya and Lars."

"Why?"

Makoto nodded. "Just trust me," she muttered. "Kazuya seems…distant, somehow. He's focusing too much on Heihachi and Jin. And Lars is preoccupied too, but…Takane and Ritsuko-san need help."

Iori waited a few moments before deciding to trust Makoto. Her "prince" got into a fighting stance in case something happened. Iori took a deep breath, adjusted her aim, then pulled the trigger on both guns.

The bullets zoomed through the air, and the one meant for Lars thankfully made its mark. The Swedish general winced and looked down at the side of his ribcage, where the bullet had struck.

The bullet meant for Kazuya, however, missed and hit Jin in the arm instead. Jin looked over in the direction of the bullet and his eyes locked on Iori. Iori flinched and Makoto cursed under her breath.

Jin broke free from his tussle with his family and started off towards Makoto and Iori. This, of course, made the other two curious, and the whole family started over to the two girls as a sort of competition to see who could kill them fastest.

Just beyond the three Kazama-Mishimas, Makoto could see that Takane and Ritsuko had gained back enough of an advantage to actually land some hits on Lars. Satisfied, Makoto focused on the three men stalking towards them. She moved closer to Iori, but didn't step in front of her in case Iori wanted to shoot someone.

"Aren't you that little boy that tried to attack me when I was crushing that little bug?" Heihachi growled, looking at Makoto. Iori hissed through her teeth.

"First of all, I'm not a boy, second of all, yes, and third of all, her name was Yayoi and she was a girl, not a bug," Makoto related.

"I didn't expect any of you to make it this far," Kazuya admitted with a hearty laugh. "What a petty group of girls! How did you actually survive this long, bribe them with a free concert?"

In response, Iori shot him.

Kazuya reached out and caught the bullet out of the air. Iori hardly had time for a gasp before the large man crushed it in his fingers and smirked at Iori. Iori growled.

"That's all you can do?" Kazuya taunted. "Alright, this one is mine. You two get the other one."

Jin, to reply, launched himself at Iori. Iori yelped and fled to a wall. Kazuya growled.

"I said she was mine, you little bastard!"

"I don't remember ever listening to you," Jin muttered. "What makes you think I'd start now? I'll kill who I want to kill."

Iori shot him again. He whirled towards her and sent a kick at her face. Iori dropped to the ground and rolled out of the way, letting loose a barrage of bullets from both guns, one stream sent towards Jin and the other towards Kazuya. Both men dodged them almost effortlessly and launched again at Iori. It wasn't long before the young Minase was completely hidden from sight, and the only clue Makoto had that she was still alive was the occasional scream or gunshot.

"IORI!" Makoto darted off towards the girl, but she was cut off when Heihachi slid in front of her. Makoto bared her teeth in a snarl. "Get out of my way, you son of a b*tch!"

"Tch! You think you can defeat me with words alone?! It's about time I got a real match with you!" Heihachi cackled.

"I have to get to her!" Makoto cried, trying desperately to get past Heihachi. The man moved every time she did, though, and eventually Makoto realized that she was wasting her energy; energy she would no doubt need when she faced Heihachi. So she stopped, looked up at the man, and got into a fighting pose. Heihachi smirked at her, obviously amused.

"I'll have you writhing on the floor in seconds, you worthless piece of junk!"

Heihachi jumped at Makoto, who dodged easily aside at the last second and threw a kick at Heihachi. He was struck, but it didn't hinder him at all.

"Ten seconds," Makoto counted off. "I'm not on the floor yet."

Heihachi charged at her again. She jumped into the air and kicked off of his shoulders. Heihachi grabbed her foot. She kicked him in the face with the one that wasn't in his grip. His grasp on her foot loosened ever so slightly, and she landed upside-down on her hands, using her free foot again to wrench out of his grasp. A small roll, and then she was back on her feet, facing him.

"Thirty seconds," she announced. "Is that all you can do?"

Heihachi let out a loud roar and ran to her with his hands out. This time, Makoto dropped onto the ground and did a barrel roll, hoping to trip him. Heihachi stepped over her and drove his heel into her stomach. Makoto coughed, but she quickly rose to her feet again and took a few steps back to put more room between herself and Heihachi.

"Forty-five seconds."

Heihachi slammed his fist into the wall, which broke apart. He picked up one of the pieces of the wall, which was now a tumble of rocks, and threw it with all his might at Makoto. She swerved aside, and the rock landed harmlessly on the ground beside her.

"One minute!" Makoto called. "You lied. I'm not on the ground yet, Heihachi Mishima."

Heihachi tackled her to the floor. Makoto gasped, but she didn't allow herself any time to be shocked before she rolled over, putting herself on top of Heihachi.

From somewhere across the arena, she heard a loud scream of pain. When she looked over at Lars, Takane, and Ritsuko, she found Ritsuko with Lars' hand through her stomach and Takane standing behind him, holding the jagged rock from against the wall. Makoto flinched. Heihachi used the opportunity to wrap his hands around her neck and stand, flinging her against the broken part of the wall. Makoto let out a cry of pain.

"Was that…all you can do?!" she shouted, rising somewhat shakily to her feet. She knew she wasn't doing well; in fact, she knew there was a very strong chance she would drop dead in seconds. After all, despite the fact that she'd recovered enough to fight, the boyish idol still retained tender spots all over her body from trying to kill herself, and in addition her leg was still injured from her fight with Ganryu. Still, she was going to do her best. For the sake of the friends she'd lost, the girl she'd sworn to protect…and the father she wanted so desperately to please.

"You still aren't beaten?" Heihachi growled. "You're a stubborn one, I'll give you that much."

Makoto would have replied, but she heard another loud scream. Her eyes widened and she looked over at Iori to find that the girl had beaten off Jin enough that he was now coming after Heihachi. Kazuya and her were still locked in a tussle, but Makoto could tell Iori hadn't been the one to scream.

_Then who…?_

"Wow, what a match! Ritsuko Akizuki and Lars Alexandersson have been effectively wiped out! How about a hand for Lars for killing Ritsuko, and a hand for Takane for killing him?"

Makoto looked at the announcer, then at the spot where Lars, Ritsuko, and Takane had once been tussling. Sure enough, Ritsuko was lying on the floor in a heap, a hole in her stomach and her chest. Lars was laying beside her, his skull bashed to bits, Takane standing triumphantly over him holding the rock that had killed Yukiho.

Takane looked over at Makoto, then ran to her, holding the rock. "You are safe."

"More or less," Makoto panted. She glanced at Heihachi to find he had gotten preoccupied with fighting Jin and let out a breath of relief. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine," Takane admitted. "I am sorry. I could not defend Ritsuko-san."

"It's alright," Makoto said quietly. "You did the best you could. Congratulations for killing Lars."

"Thank you." Takane looked over at Kazuya and Iori, still fighting, and started towards them. "I will handle things there."

"So you're leaving me to fight two of the strongest competitors here all by myself?"

Takane smiled slightly. "But Makoto, you are the strongest of us, are you not?"

Makoto blinked. "You…really think so? But you were able to kill Lars, while I've barely done anything…"

Takane nodded. "That may be so, but keep in mind I had help. Also, I do not have to fight with the weight of my best friend's death on my shoulders."

Makoto flinched. "…Yukiho…"

"She would be very proud," Takane murmured, reaching across to wipe a bit of blood from Makoto's lip. "You have made us all very proud, being able to get up like this after being shoved so far down. I am honored to fight by your side."

"…honored, you say…" Makoto looked down, listening to the sounds of fighting all around her, staring at the bloody rock in Takane's hands—the rock that Makoto had used to murder her own best friend—and felt tears in her eyes. "…thank you."

Takane smiled warmly at her, bowed, then hurried off to Kazuya and Iori to offer Iori some help. Makoto looked over at Heihachi and now-Devil-Jin. The two of them were still fighting and showed no signs of stopping any time soon. Sighing, she decided to leave them for now and join up with Takane and Iori. There was no need to get herself involved in a match she definitely couldn't win.

By the time Makoto reached Iori and Takane, Kazuya had gone to his family to try and kill them. Makoto muttered something about bickering relatives and paused by her teammates to check in on things.

"Sorry I couldn't help," she sighed to Iori. "I was preoccupied with Heihachi."

"It's…fine," Iori gasped, sliding onto the floor. "…you were right, Makoto…that magic is…really tough to get around."

"I warned you," Makoto muttered. She, too, took a seat in the dirt. Takane sat as well. "Well, I vote we sit here and recover our strength while those guys hopefully kill each other."

"Good plan," Iori agreed. She looked at her guns. "At this rate, I'm going to be out of bullets in minutes…"

"It's OK. I'll take care of you, promise," Makoto murmured.

Iori smiled slightly. "You better. If you don't, I'll sue you for a thousand dollars."

"Yeah, yeah…" Makoto giggled.

After a moment, Devil Jin broke away from the fight and headed for them. All three idols quickly jumped to their feet. If Makoto looked closely, she saw a limp in Devil Jin's left foot and could tell he had been greatly injured, but he was still able to fight strongly.

She smiled slightly. Jin was a worthy opponent, if nothing else.

He glanced at Takane, then his eyes scanned over Iori and Makoto. He stared at Makoto for a second before looking over at Takane again. A tiny smirk formed on his lips, and Makoto instinctually grabbed Iori around the waist and flung her away from Takane. Iori yelped. Makoto reached for Takane as well, but the silver-haired idol shoved her to the ground. Makoto cried out in annoyance.

"TAKANE…!"

The gem on Devil Jin's forehead was glowing. Takane looked over at the other two idols, smiled grimly, and bowed…and as soon as she did, the energy which Jin had been storing up was let loose in a blast of blue power, which pulsated and twisted in and out until it slammed straight into the Ramen Queen and straight through her. Makoto screamed. Iori started to cry.

And when the smoke from the impact cleared, there was a hole in the wall and what was left of Takane was lying on the ground, obviously dead. Makoto crawled over to her and shook her.

"Takane…Takane! Wake up!" she ordered, her eyes beginning to water. She could have saved her. She could have protected Takane like she wanted to if Takane hadn't shoved her aside. And that was the most painful part of Takane's death.

"Takane Shijou has been eliminated! How about a hand for Jin?" the announcer called. Iori whimpered and joined Makoto by Takane's side.

Her whole lower body had been obliterated up to her stomach. There was no blood, but her remaining body was charred and black with ash. Makoto almost wished she could see the blood instead of just a burnt torso. She sniffled loudly and turned to Devil Jin.

"How could you?!"

"The same way she could kill Lars," Jin responded. "It's called 'winning'."

"You're all monsters!" Iori decided.

"Great observation," Jin said sarcastically. "Now stand up. I don't want to kill my opponents if they're just sitting there waiting to die. It's more fun when they try to run."

Makoto growled and rose to her feet. Slowly, she reached around to the huge tumble of rocks that had been created from Devil Jin's attack and grabbed a sharp-looking stone as a weapon. Iori drew her guns and glared evenly at the winged man before them (if Devil Jin could even be classified as a "man".)

With a loud yell, Makoto launched herself at Devil Jin, purposely running at his left side. Jin tried to stop her, but before he had a chance to do much Makoto slammed her rock into the jewel on his forehead, smashing it to pieces. Jin groaned in pain and grabbed onto her arm. Makoto quickly dodged over to his right.

"Iori!" she shouted. "Shoot his left side!"

Iori wasted no time in following orders. She fired a steady stream of bullets from both guns at the left side of Jin's body. Makoto grabbed a hold of his other hand and slipped behind his back, holding him still while Iori fired away. Jin screamed in pain and began to struggle. Makoto killed him by digging her rock into his brain.

Iori stopped firing. Jin gasped slightly and slid to the ground, the stone lodged in his cranium and bullets stuck in his body. After a few more seconds of bleeding, he had died.

Makoto grinned and jogged over to Iori. "Nice job, Princess," she praised. Iori blushed slightly.

"You weren't bad yourself…Prince," she agreed quietly.

"And Jin Kazama has been defeated! Congratulations to Makoto Kikuchi and Iori Minase!" the announcer called, excitement obvious in his voice. "We are down to our final four, ladies and gentlemen; Iori Minase, Heihachi Mishima, Makoto Kikuchi, and Kazuya Mishima! Which of these stunning fighters will take the championship?!"

Kazuya and Heihachi broke apart and looked over at the two girls. There was blood dripping from Makoto's right hand and a determined scowl on her face, and Iori had both guns raised, looking all-too-ready to pull the triggers.

A team of paramedics ran in, blowing on whistles. The fighters waited while they ran around and collected the bodies of the dead competitors. Makoto had them pause while she murmured with Ritsuko and Takane, as well as giving each young woman a gentle kiss on the cheek before allowing the paramedics to wheel them away. Iori could tell how much it pained the girl to let them go, but she had to admit that Makoto was handling things surprisingly well. She knew it was because of her that Makoto had recovered—and for the first time since meeting the girl, Iori was glad she was with her.

As soon as the paramedics left, all hell broke loose.

Kazuya jumped on Iori and knocked her to the ground, then began beating her with his fists. Makoto yelled in surprise and started after her, but Heihachi suddenly appeared in front of her and threw her at the wall. Makoto growled and charged him, and the two rivals clashed once again.

Fists flew, bullets were shot, and rocks were thrown. The fighters grabbed each other around the neck, the arm, or the leg—anything they could find. Screams erupted from every mouth.

But the loudest of these came from Minase Iori.

Makoto gasped and flung Heihachi against the wall before starting towards her. Kazuya had one hand around her neck, and with the other hand he held one of the blunt rocks that had become so popular a weapon recently. Iori had her fingers on the triggers and was pulling them like mad, but nothing was happening. Dully, Makoto realized that her and Iori's biggest fear had become a reality.

_Iori ran out of bullets._

"NO!"

Makoto bolted towards them. She had to reach them, she had to get to the pair before Iori was killed by that rock. She had to protect her, just like she'd promised. She _had _to.

Jut before she reached them, Heihachi hooked his arms around her from behind. Makoto screamed and kicked and struggled, but it was in vain. She was trapped.

"Let me go!" she ordered, tears in her eyes. "LET ME GO RIGHT NOW! IORI!"

Iori, too, had started to cry. There was a fear in her eyes, a longing, a desperation for safety that she hoped would reach her in time. Even so, the more Makoto struggled to escape Heihachi's grasp, the tighter the bigger man held her.

Heihachi cackled loudly. "Kazuya, you useless little bastard! Finish her already so we can watch this one suffer!" he called. His son laughed.

"NO!" Makoto sobbed. "LET GO!"

Heihachi and Kazuya ignored her. Iori's soft crying turned to loud wails as the hand on her neck tightened. She dropped her guns to the floor, feeing utterly defeated.

"Let…let me go," she demanded, her voice sounding broken instead of convincing. "Let me go…! I-I am Minase Iori, and I order you to release me this instant!"

Kazuya chuckled darkly. "No can do," he muttered. "…Princess."

"IORI!"

"M-Makoto…!"

It was the last word Iori could say. The rock Kazuya held slammed into her skull, and blood gushed from the newly-opened wound. Makoto screamed in agony, watching her last companion fall shakily to the ground, her eyes wide and frightened. Heihachi cackled again and released his prey, allowing Makoto to drop to her knees in horror. Kazuya stepped away and gestured to Iori's body, a smirk on his face, as if to embellish the fact that she was dying. Makoto half crawled, half stumbled over to Iori and lifted the girl's body into her arms.

"I…Iori…"

Iori coughed. "…so this is it, huh," she murmured. "Stupid peasant. You failed."

Makoto tried to smile. "…I…I-I failed…"

"I always knew…you wouldn't be able to do it," Iori admitted. "…I'm scared."

"Me too," Makoto said softly. "…but it's going to be just fine, Iori. Now you can be with Yayoi. Now you can go see her, like you wanted to."

"Yeah, that's true," Iori breathed. Makoto brushed her hair out of her tear-filled eyes and sniffled loudly. "Hey…don't cry. You're even more hideous than usual…when you cry."

"I let you down again!" Makoto snapped. "I told myself I wouldn't fail this time! I told myself that no matter what, I would never let you die! I promised YOU I wouldn't lose you!"

"It's OK. At least you…tried. …thank you." Iori paused to cough again. "I don't have long."

"Don't say that!" Makoto sniffled again. "…but, y-you're welcome."

"Hey. I'll tell Yukiho…you love her."

"IORI…!"

"…there's one more thing…I want you to know." Iori's eyes were serious.

Makoto wiped the tears from Iori's eyes, gently. "…what?" she questioned curiously.

"I like you."

Makoto stared at her. "…I like you too."

Iori smiled slightly, her breath coming out shaky and quiet. She stared at Makoto for a little longer; and then her eyes glazed over and her head tipped back, finalizing her death. Makoto sniffled and let out a loud, anguished wail. Kazuya and Heihachi laughed.

Makoto lowered Iori to the ground, slowly, and stood. She growled low and turned towards Heihachi and Kazuya, her eyes narrowed, filed with fury and sorrow. She felt the safety of her sanity slipping away once again and didn't bother trying to stop herself from morphing into the mad killing machine she knew she would become if she allowed herself to go insane. She wanted them to suffer. She wanted these men to feel an unimaginable amount of physical pain to pay them back for the pain they'd caused her.

She wanted Heihachi to suffer most of all. It was _his_ rule that had made them kill each other. It was _his _hands that had murdered Yayoi. It was _his _offspring that killed Iori.

And Makoto was going to kill him for it. No matter what.

"You look kinda mad," Kazuya commented casually, obviously unaware of exactly how "mad" Makoto was. "Aw, did I hit a nerve, little Prince?"

"You're going to die." Those were the only words Makoto was going to waste on this monster.

"Right, and _you're_ going to kill me, huh?"

Makoto didn't answer. Instead, she ran to the wall, grabbed the biggest rock she could find, and hurled it at Kazuya's chest. Kazuya blocked it with his arms and laughed. The next thing he knew, Makoto was in the air above him, a rock in her hands, quickly coming towards him. The Mishima son let out a loud cry before the rock slammed straight into his face.

Blood exploded from the new wound on Kazuya's head. Makoto barely gave him two seconds before she attacked him with the rock again, and again, while Heihachi watched them in amusement.

Kazuya would have blocked the teenaged girl, but thankfully Makoto's first attack had been enough to kill him in one blow.

Makoto knew that. She just didn't care.

He was going to suffer. His body was going to be turned into a broken pile of bones and blood. And Heihachi was going to be twenty times worse.

When Makoto at last finished her rampage, her wish had been granted; Kazuya was now no more than a few appendages and tiny pieces of broken bones. Makoto stood over him, shaking, her breath coming out in shaky laughs. There was a wide, rather unnerving smile on her face, and her eyes were wide, her pupils dilated. She still clutched the stone in her hands. Kazuya's crimson blood was splattered all over her clothes.

She erupted into a loud laugh, which Heihachi joined into with his own signature cackle. Both remaining fighters continued their small celebration for a few moments longer, then faced each other.

"That was quite a show," Heihachi congratulated her. "Nice job brutally murdering my son and grandson."

"You're next," Makoto rasped. Her lips twitched into another maniacal grin.

"You probably think I'm grateful to you," Heihachi continued. "You're wrong. It was _my _job to kill those two, and you, you miserable worm, beat me to it! For that, you're going to pay dearly—"

Heihachi broke off when Makoto suddenly appeared right in front of him, holding the stone by his head. She gazed up at his face and her eye twitched slightly.

"It was never your job to kill Yayoi," she hissed. "Do you know what that means?"

"You're going to try your best to kill me, only to fail miserably and lie on the ground bleeding to death while I laugh about what a fool you are for crossing me?"

"No." Her eyes widened. "I'm going to kill you."

Heihachi moved aside just as Makoto moved to slam the rock into his skull. He circled around her, throwing a kick at her back before she had a chance to turn around. Makoto whirled towards him and flung the rock into his shoulder. He winced slightly, but he didn't seem fazed.

Heihachi jumped at Makoto and grabbed her by the arm, flinging her against the wall. Makoto stumbled to her feet and giggled.

"I thought you were supposed to be able to kill people in thirteen seconds," she purred. "But I've been fighting you for at least fifteen minutes. Are you going easy on me?"

Heihachi cackled loudly. "Easy? Alright, you want my full power?! I'll show you my full power!"

He launched himself at the girl, his hand closed in a fist. Makoto ducked and dodged away from him, then jogged backwards against the opposite wall. Heihachi picked up a few rocks and flung them across the arena at her, but Makoto dodged them easily. She set up a small fort with the rocks that had been thrown at her and sat down to store up energy.

The pain from her injuries had practically vanished, and she doubted she needed to worry. Still, she thought it would be a good idea to rest whenever possible.

She wasn't able to rest long, however—Heihachi was soon right outside her small fort. Makoto quickly began flinging rocks in his direction. She managed to catch Heihachi off-guard and when the man emerged from Makoto's attack, he was bleeding through multiple abrasions in his skin. Makoto laughed insanely.

"You're going to die!" she repeated. "Do you hear me?! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Heihachi only laughed back. "You amuse me, little boy!" he called.

"I'M A F*CKING GIRL!"

"So perhaps I'll let you live a bit longer so you can entertain me some more! Show me the full extent of your power!"

Makoto charged at him with a cry. Heihachi cackled.

The two exchanged blows for a long time. Fists flew, legs whipped in all directions, and sometimes a tooth was dislodged from the mouth it belonged to. The audience was on the edge of their seats, watching for the exciting end to this seemingly endless struggle. Words were shouted (often colorful, furious words) and blood was spilled. The announcer twiddled his thumbs while he waited for the end result.

And somewhere in the back of the crowd, Haruka, Chihaya, Mami, and Producer sat in the bleachers next to Makoto's father, watching the show in excitement. If Makoto lost here, all five of them would have lost someone very special.

Haruka looked over at Chihaya. "We're lucky," she announced. "We're lucky we were knocked out of the competition by Takane-san and Mami-chan. We're lucky we survived together."

Chihaya nodded. "That's true," she murmured. "Haruka, I'm worried about Makoto."

"Me too." Haruka let out a long sigh. "Makoto-chan is scary when she gets like this…"

"Mami agrees," Mami muttered. "Makochin needs to chill and stuff. She needs to help Mami get over losing Ami."

Producer nodded slowly. "Makoto is a useful addition to our idol team, if not only to attract the girls. We really can't afford to lose any more of you," he said seriously.

"She won't lose."

All four of the others looked over at Makoto's father, who shifted slightly and watched his daughter in the arena.

"Makoto has trained hard for this," he declared. "She won't lose."

"I'm sure that's true, Sir," Producer began cautiously, "but Heihachi is an extremely challenging opponent and from what I've heard, Makoto hasn't been doing well. Honestly, if she survives this, it'll be a miracle."

Makoto's father smiled slightly. "Good. My family is known for miracles."

Producer fell silent. Slowly, he turned back towards the arena. Heihachi was in the middle of the ring, Makoto in front of him. Both fighters were panting heavily and held one or more of the broken stones in their hands. Mami recognized the rock that had killed Yukiho in Makoto's left hand.

"This is the end for you, foolish child!" Heihachi cried. "Do you realize that?! You are going to fall down and die here, right now!"

Makoto grinned. "Win…lose…it doesn't matter to me," she cooed.

"What on Earth are you talking about?!"

"If I win, I can go back to my old life. If I lose, I can see Yukiho and Hibiki and Iori and the rest again. In other words, no matter what happens, I'm the winner here," Makoto explained. "Sucks for you. If you lose you get stuck with your family again."

"Then, I'll just have to win!" Heihachi shouted. He ran at Makoto one more time, his rocks extended a foot apart as though he would crush her skull between them. Makoto giggled, a light and airy giggle. She gripped the stone in her hand.

_This is for Yukiho, you d*mned bastard._

The whole crowd let out a collective gasp. Makoto ducked away from Heihachi's extended rocks and used her own stone to slice through his neck, swinging behind him so that the man hardly had time to flinch before the sharp part of the rock that had murdered so many people already added one more to its list. It was only after Heihachi's severed head fell to the ground and Makoto fell upon him and continued to beat him with the rock long after she knew for a fact he was dead that she realized—this stone had also, in a way, been Yayoi's downfall. Because the ginger-headed idol had been distracted by its existence, Heihachi had gained the upper hand and killed her.

_How ironic, _Makoto thought as she beat away mercilessly at Heihachi's fallen body, _that I'm destroying this man using the same object that caused Yayoi's death._

The crowd only watched, and listened, as Makoto laughed and screamed and cried, eventually dropping the rock on the ground and simply digging into Heihachi's flesh (and his detached face) with her fingers.

A team of paramedics ran in and forcibly dragged the flailing girl off of Heihachi. Makoto screeched and struggled uselessly in their arms. They ushered her away, likely to a hospital, while the audience and the announcer tried to figure out what had just happened. Eventually, it sank in—in one quick, fluid motion, Makoto had successfully decapitated Heihachi Mishima.

She had killed him.

She had _won_.

"Wow," the announcer breathed. "…just, wow. How about that, ladies and gentlemen? What a comeback! What a battle! What a win! This is it, folks! Makoto Kikuchi is the winner of the seventh King of Iron Fist Tournament!"

The audience was on their feet in seconds, most of whom were laughing and cheering for their favorite underdog. Producer and the other three remaining idols cheered the loudest (except for maybe the still-recovering Leo, who had insisted on joining the audience to watch the final match despite her heavy injuries). Haruka burst into tears and hugged Chihaya tightly. Producer and Mami exchanged a high-five. Makoto's father offered a hearty laugh and a smile.

Another team of paramedics entered to clean up Iori's body and what had once been the bodies of Heihachi and Kazuya, but were now nothing more than puddles of blood, crushed bone, and the occasional organ. Makoto's five-person fan club joined up with Leo in the stands, and the six of them slowly made their way downstairs.

It was time to congratulate the winner.

**(...*weeps excessively***

**I FREAKIN' KILLED IORI! OH GOSH WHAT KIND OF HORRIBLE PERSON AM I?! YOU GUYS ARE CRUEL!**

**Well. There will be one more chapter before the book's official end, and then I'm going to drop it for a while and work on other things before starting the alternate endings. Please be patient.**

**...;-;)**


	19. The Reunion Hour

_The Reunion Hour_

_ "Makoto-chan, congratulations!" _Haruka cheered loudly. Makoto glanced at her, her eyes blank and lifeless. She muttered something, then looked away again. Haruka frowned.

Ever since winning the tournament, Makoto had been distant. The paramedics said that the only real word they'd heard her yell was Yukiho's name. After a few minutes of trying to calm her down with words, the doctors had forced drugs into the girl's mouth, sleeping pills that would sedate her until she had calmed down enough to wake up and speak coherently and without flailing.

Still, the idols knew that nothing could be done to soothe Makoto's broken heart and aching mind. She had allowed almost all of her friends to be killed, and all but one of them had died right in front of her. Haruka could only guess at how much pain she must have been in.

"How are you feeling?" Haruka cooed gently, taking one of Makoto's cuffed hands in her own.

"Horrible," Makoto muttered. She lapsed back into silence.

"I'm very proud of you, Makoto," Producer murmured. "You did amazing out there—"

"LIAR!" Makoto tried to sit up, but the metal cuffs around her legs and arms prevented movement. "If I had really done as well as everyone thinks I did, Takane, Ritsuko-san, and…a-and Iori…they'd all still be alive!"

"Makoto. You did everything you could. It's not your fault," Producer soothed. "They don't blame you, we don't blame you…no one blames you. There wasn't anything you could have done."

"Would you all shut up?!" Makoto sobbed, the tears she'd been suppressing finally spilling out like a great torrent of falling rain. "Stop trying to make me feel better! None of you understand! None of you are as hurt by all of this as I am! None of you know what I'm going through, so you can just stop trying to help me!"

"You were doing so well for a while there," Leo sighed. She took a seat on Makoto's left, taking a hold of her free hand. "Hey, listen. I know you're hurt and depressed and furious, but we're all going to be here for you throughout all of this. It'll all work out, because we all love you and we'll take care of you now. OK?"

"No," Makoto sniffed. "It's not OK. It will never be OK, never again. I've lost Yukiho, I've lost Hibiki, I let Iori die even though I swore to her I would protect her…I was prepared to lose my life to save all of them, and in the end, I couldn't save a single one and, to make matters worse, I'm still alive."

Leo smiled warmly at her. "I'm glad you're still alive," she breathed. "Tell you what—I'll be the new Yukiho for you. We've only known each other for about two months and I'm already really fond of you, so we'll be best friends in no time. Right?"

Makoto cracked a small smile. "…you mean it?"

"Sure. I know I'm not as adorable and shy and quiet as Yukiho was—is," Leo corrected herself, "but I think we'd make a really good team. In fact, all four of us really love you guys, so we'll try to pick up the roles of those you've lost."

"You kinda remind me of Hibiki-chan," Haruka admitted. "Lili-chan is like Iori-chan, Xiaoyu-chan is a lot like Yayoi-chan, and Alisa-chan reminds me of Yukiho-chan. Right?"

Makoto nodded slightly. "…thank you."

"Of course, anything for the Grand Champion Makochin!" Mami cheered.

Makoto giggled slightly, a normal-sounding giggle that assured Haruka that Makoto had recovered from her insanity.

"I'm really sorry about Ami, by the way," Makoto said after a while. "I know that's going to be really hard for you, Mami."

Mami's eternal grin wavered. She didn't bother reviving it. "…yeah. It's gonna really, really stink without Ami around. Mami is going to miss her a lot like crazy."

"'A lot' and 'like crazy' mean the same thing," Chihaya pointed out.

"Chihaya-oneechan, shut up."

Makoto nodded slowly. "Maybe I could have protected her."

"You couldn't have. That bear was brutal," Chihaya assured her. "You would have been wiped out almost immediately, I promise you that."

Makoto nodded again. "For some reason, I'm really grateful to hear that."

Chihaya nodded back. The group was silent again for some time.

"I'm so happy you three are alive," Makoto admitted. "I can't even explain it. I'm just so glad that at least some of you were able to survive. I'm…I'm really sorry I led you all here. I had no idea this would happen, and now I realize I have to stop blaming myself for things that were outside of my control." She paused. "I'll never forgive myself completely. I'll never recover from this, and I don't think I'll ever go completely back to normal. But I'm going to try my best to climb out of this endless pit of despair I'm in. And I'll do it for real this time. I'll still be in the Valley of Anguish, but at least I'll be out of the Endless Abyss of Insanity."

The others (besides Chihaya and Makoto's father) offered a small laugh, happy to know that Makoto still retained at least a bit of her former sense of humor.

"I wanted to apologize for losing it like that, too," Makoto continued. "My brain just can't handle all these people that I love so much dying around me. I couldn't stand to live with myself. So I let myself become some sort of monster to compensate for the pain I couldn't deal with. Maybe that means I'm really weak after all."

"You are not weak," her father snapped, speaking for the first time since he had entered Makoto's infirmary wing. "You are my daughter, of whom I am very proud, and you are stronger than any of these girls. You killed a seemingly invincible man and lived to tell of it. You are not weak."

Makoto grinned and felt new tears form in her eyes. "…you mean it? You're really proud of me?"

"Of course I'm proud of you." Her father smiled slightly. "I watched you the whole time, Makoto. You were incredible."

"Thank…th-thank you. Thank you so much…"

"Hush," Makoto's father ordered. He reached down and wiped the tears from Makoto's eyes. "You should sleep. You're obviously exhausted and you need to recover."

Makoto let out a long, contented sigh. "Yeah…you're right. I think I'll get some sleep." She yawned. "…thank you all. You all mean so much to me, and I'm really grateful of your company."

"Do you want me to stay here with you while you sleep?" Leo offered softly.

"That would be really nice," Makoto sighed. "Thanks."

"Of course, any time."

The other five bid Makoto farewell and gave her a quick hug (or a simple kiss on the cheek, in her father's case) before exiting the room. Makoto and Leo chatted for a little bit until Makoto finally drifted into sleep.

Although it would be hard, and although it would be painful, Makoto was determined to live her life without any regrets. She would return to the stage, and she would do her best beside Haruka, Chihaya, and Mami. And although she would still be wandering through the "Valley of Anguish", perhaps even for a lifetime, she knew that she would never again allow herself to fall into the "Endless Abyss of Insanity".

Because Kikuchi Makoto was strong, and if someone is strong, they'll do whatever if takes.

**XxXxX**

_Dear Makoto-chan,_

_Thank you very much for my letter~. It was very sweet of you. _

_Listen, Makoto-chan. I love you very much, and I always will. I know you feel like you've let me down, but let me be the first to promise you that we will always be looking out for you. None of us blame you for anything. We're so proud of you, Makoto-chan._

_Lots and lots of love, cute little Makoto-chan~_

_Azusa~_

_Yo yo yo, Makochin~!_

_Hey, hey? Guess what? It's Ami!_

_So Ami's kinda sad that you couldn't watch her match. Ami got to ride a bear. It was awesome. The bear was all like, "whoosh!" And Ami was like, "No way, bear! You're gonna whoosh this way!" And stuff._

_Well, anyways, tell Mami Ami loves her very very much. Ami loves you too. Mostly 'cause you're super-cool and not feminine at all~_

_Well, anyhow, conversations for winning! Ami's proud of you and all._

_Hearts and rainbows,_

_Ami-chan the Magnificent_

_Hi Makoto-kun!_

_It's Miki, nano. Miki jut thought it would be a cute idea (just like Miki~) to write a quick letter to tell you how much you mean to her._

_First of all, Miki would have loved to be buried by that cellphone accessories store. Who cares what they say? Bury Miki there! Be Miki's prince and rescue her from the dark prison of her current burial ground!_

_She doesn't know where that is, by the way~_

_Oh yeah, and for the record…_

_Yes. Miki is in love with you~._

_Bye Makoto-kun!_

_Miki, nano~!_

_Hey there._

_It's Ritsuko. Now, I want you to read this very carefully (or, I would if you were actually going to receive it. Too bad I'm dead, huh?). Makoto, I don't blame you AT ALL for what happened. I died, OK? It's because I wasn't strong enough. It has nothing to do with you._

_You're a fantastic idol and a fantastic fighter. I'm really proud of you._

_Keep going strong, Makoto. I'll support you all the way._

_Ritsuko_

_Greetings._

_This is Shijou Takane, speaking to you from wherever I am now. I would tell you the specifics, but it's a secret. I will, however, tell you that there is much ramen in this place, and I am quite satisfied._

_I think often of my death. Do you know why I pushed you?_

_Because I wished to save your life._

_Makoto. It was not worth it to put your life in danger to save me. _

_I am extremely proud of you, and I am honored to have known such a strong and valiant young woman. You have pleased us all. Many congratulations to you._

_P.S. Could you bury me beside a ramen shop? Thank you._

_Farewell,_

_Shijou Takane._

_U-uun~!_

_It's Yayoi!_

_So, Makoto-san! I thought you should know that I really do think you're like a prince. You're always so strong and brave. It's true you can never be like Iori-chan in terms of sweetness and cuteness and leadership, but you're pretty funny, and I like spending time with you._

_So, try not to feel too bad! I forgive you for failing to protect me. At least you tried, right? And besides, now I'm with Iori-chan, and we're having lots of fun together._

_I miss you, though._

_Anyways._

_That was Yayoi~!_

_Hiya, Makoto~!_

_Yo! Guess who? Well, I ain't gonna tell ya yet. Ain't this neat? I can write in Okinawan dialect~. Heh._

_WAIT, FUHGET YA EVER SAW THAT! I AIN'T HIBIKI! WHATCHA TALKIN' 'BOUT?!_

_Ah well. It's not like you're really gonna see this letter anyhow since I'm kinda dead. But anyways!_

_I miss ya like crazy, y'know. You were one of my closest friends, an' I really love ya. I had a feelin' you'd get really far, an' I was right as always 'cause I'm perfect._

_Hehe._

_Well, anyways…congrats for defeatin' Heihachi! I'm really proud o' ya. O, and just so ya know, Nina died from 'er injuries after a while. She's up here with me now. She still hasn't apologized for killin' me, but I haven't apologized for killin' 'er either so it's OK._

_Pick up my slack, 'kay? Thanks~_

_See ya later, Makoto!_

_(Guess what? I LIED! I WAS HIBIKI THE WHOLE TIME! HA, SUCKA!)_

_Dear Makoto-chan,_

_Well, I thought it would be a good idea to write you this letter, Makoto-chan, to express how much you mean to me._

_I can't think of words to say to you right now. I think it's impossible to tell you how much I love you. But I will say that I've always really admired you, and your strength, and your courage, and I love you so much. I can't imagine how much pain you must be in. Even so, I wish I could give you this letter so I could comfort you._

_Makoto-chan, I forgive you._

_I forgave you the second it happened. Yes, those would have been my last words to you._

_I love you more than I've ever loved anyone else. You are the greatest friend anyone has ever had._

_Ever._

_I know you never meant to hurt me, and it's OK. One day we'll be reunited._

_And we can hug and never let go. That would be fine with me._

_With the most love anyone can ever offer you,_

_Yukiho~_

_Hey there, stupid Prince._

_You failed._

_But, for some reason…I'm not mad anymore. I know when we started out, we were like fire and water. Now, I'm starting to see just how much you're hurting, and I can say without regrets that I like you. I don't love you because that's stupid and you're just a peasant, but I like you. You've done a lot for me, and even though you failed, you at last tried. That's all I can ask from you, I guess._

_Besides, I'm with Yayoi now. Yayoi and Ami and Azusa-san and Ritsuko-san. And we'll wait for you here._

_It's OK, Makoto. I forgive you. _

_By the way, remember when we wrote these letters to dead people? Well, I wrote one for you and stuffed it in my purse. Read it when you get a chance, OK?_

_See you later, your Royal Failure. Ha, ha._

_The Great Minase Iori _

**(A/N: OH MY GOSH, IT'S REALLY OVER! Officially, at least.**

**Thank you thank you thank you so much to everyone who supported this book! I am still taking requests for alternate endings, bonus matches, or random visiting time, so if you want something in here go ahead and suggest! Try to keep it moderately dramatic and relevant, though. Like, Takane going out for ramen is irrelevant and out of the question. But I'll do it for Dr bb!eworks! if you want me to!**

**Anyways.**

**Like I said in the final match chapter, the alernate endings and such will be going on hold until I feel like getting back to it. Until then, I love hearing from you guys so go ahead and shoot me a PM and we can chat about how sad we are that it's officially over!**

**So, what did you guys think of the ending, anyways? I'm happy with it but it was depressing. Oh well.**

**In case you need clearing up, that last part in the italics was the people who had died writing letters to Makoto, like a "this is what we would say to you in response to your letters if we had actually gotten them and we were still alive".**

**THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT! I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL. 3**

**~*GraceGrrl/gracegrrl007*~)**


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